With some of your favorite stems and some cheap household items, you can breed new rose plants for your garden.The following content also has some reference value for raised garden beds.
There is an open secret about roses: they are not only easy to reproduce, but planting more of these plants is one of the best and most magical parts of them. You can germinate seeds, but planting roses with cuttings is the easiest way to breed your favorite varieties. There are several practical reasons for breeding roses from cuttings. If you have a variety that grows very well in your garden, then picking some cuttings from that rose is a cheap way to increase your collection. Or you may want to create a backup of rare varieties or heirloom roses. The locally grown rose cuttings are also very suitable for exchanging with other gardeners. Here are 10 simple steps to successfully grow roses from cuttings.
What do you need?
- Sharp pruning shears, scissors or knives. Disinfect with external alcohol or Lysol.
- 50/50 mix of perlite and potted soil. The mixture should be sterile and contain approximately equal amounts of air and water.
- Rooting hormone. This powder can improve your chances of success, but it is usually unnecessary. It should always be used for rose types that are difficult to root, such as brocade, hybrid tea, old wood or winter cuttings.
- A well drained 2.5 to 5 inch deep pot. This can be as simple as cutting off the bottom of a plastic milk can with holes punched in the bottom.
- A transparent cover keeps the humidity around the cuttings. You can use the top of that milk can, or a 2-liter soda bottle, and remove the bottom. A clean dry cleaning bag supported around the pot with wooden stakes is also effective.
The best time to take rose cuttings
You can successfully root the rose cuttings at any time of the year. But for more consistent results, check the weather forecast. It is planned to cut when the daytime temperature is higher than 55 ° F and lower than 90 ° C; The ideal age is between 70 and 80. It may be in spring and autumn. It is better to cut in the morning.
10 Steps to Planting Roses from cuttings
In general, planting roses from cuttings is a simple process. Whenever you trim your rose plants or cut off faded flowers, the hormone balance in the removed stems changes. Under proper conditions, these changes will stimulate it to take root. The obtained plants are the same as their parents.
1. Watering the previous day.
Healthy, water - rich roses can take root better. In addition to ensuring that the parent plants remain in good condition throughout the growing season, they should also be watered the day before cuttings.
2. Take the strip.
Select the stem just below the bud to open. The second best choice is the stem under the flower that has begun to drop its petals. The cuttings are 4-8 inches long and have three to five nodes (regular intervals for the emergence of buds, leaves and stems) as the target. The cut at the bottom should be about a quarter inch below the node, and the cut at the top should be about a quarter inch above the node.
Bonus tip: Heel wood is usually easier to root. It is located at the bottom of one stem, just where it appears from another stem. Try to pull your stem straight out of its connection. Or use a sharp knife to cut into the older branches slightly.
3. Put the plug into the water.
Put the cuttings into a container containing water immediately to avoid direct sunlight. Or wrap the cuttings in a wet paper towel and place them in the cooler. You want to keep the cut stems as moist as possible.
4. Slice the bottom of the cuttings.
Rooting is part of the wound response of roses. Promote rooting by vertically cutting the green skin one inch from the bottom of the cuttings. Do this two to four times at approximately equal intervals. Or you can gently scrape off a green skin or two an inch from the bottom (just don't completely remove the skin around the stem). If the variety has big thorns, tearing them from the base will also cause enough damage to the stem, thus promoting root development.
5. Immerse the cuttings in the rooting hormone.
If using rooting hormone, apply it about two inches to the bottom of the cuttings. If you want to plant roses from cuttings without rooting hormone, steps 1-4 are more important.
6. Remove flowers and most leaves.
Cut the bud or flower, except for one or two leaves at the top. Reduce the top leaves to a total of three to four leaflets. Cut buds from the lowest node to promote root growth.
7. Put the cuttings into potted soil.
Insert your rose cuttings about two inches into the container containing the potting mixture. Thoroughly press the mixture around the stem and water. Then add your moisture-proof cover and place the flowerpot in the direct sunlight. This can be on a covered porch, on the side of a shed, or under a tree. Some people choose to root rose cuttings on the shady windowsill indoors.
8. Regularly check the rock cuttings.
If your moistureproof hood is not ventilated, please lift it briefly several times a week. You do not need to add more water unless the potting mixture appears to be completely dry. Whenever you open the lid, check for cuttings that turn brown all the way to the bottom and remove them along with any fallen leaves.
9. Remove the moisture-proof cover.
Rooting may take place within a few weeks, but it is expected to take a month or two. When you start to see the growth of roots and new leaves from the side or bottom of the pot, you can start to adapt to the new roses outside the humidity cover. If you plant several plants in one pot, you should carefully repack them into separate containers.
10. Plant rooted cuttings in the garden.
Give your rooted rose cuttings 9 to 12 months to develop enough to grow in your garden. During that time, you may need to move them into a slightly larger basin containing 20/80 perlite and potted soil, and add slow release fertilizer to promote new growth.
