rose cuttings

hi to everyone, this is my first posting on here as altho i like gardening i am a complete novice! I would very much appreciate it if someone can give the advice on the best way to get cuttings from established rose bushes, can anyone tell me how to go about this? Thanx if so!

 

you can t!
the reason is that roses are grafted on to "rootstock" at the nursery in order to propogate a variety
there may be new systems and procedures at the cutting edge of technology, but the basic method of rose propogation is to graft a variety on to a "wild" root

 

I have seen people on TV taking cuttings of roses, but as I have not tried it myself, I would not like to go into the method in detail.
It does I believe, involve taking a non flowering stem of 10-12in and removing all of the bottom leaves, and burying it to the last bud in the ground.
However I think this is done in late summer.
I'm sure someone else, more into roses, could clarify this.

 

Yes Pete, I have done just that a clean cut take a few to allow for misses then Into soil sand mix not in full sun forget about them and if it was not dark and half time, Deportivo v Valencia, I would take a photo of some new free plants growing very well in and amongst other plants. I would be careful when moving first yearlings as the roots will be soft. Of course they will have a mind of their own as the root stock controls size and so on, but I think that is minimal. must go.

 

To the advise provided - I would add the following. I have found rose cuttings singularly difficult to do - only one success in a number of tries and that was with a shrub rose. A ten to 12 inch straight green stem clean cut, leaves removed and stuck straight into a sheltered bit of the garden and left - none of the ones I tried in containers took.

I'd go for the easier but more reliable, though fiddly option of budding onto a vigorous root stock. You could grow a wild root stock quite easily from seed and they are fast growing - as I know well, because amongst my hawthorn, I planted dog rose, and that thanks to the blackbirds, I remove a number of young seedlings each year.

[ 19. January 2006, 10:22 PM: Message edited by: Fran ]

 

Grafting onto rootstock is used to control the growth of the rose. A vigourous root will make for a vigerous plant whereas a dwarfing rootstock will make it grow more compact. Rose cuttings will root - I cleared an old rose bed this summer but before I did I took loads of cuttings to preserve the variety. Some went into pots, some in the ground and some in a sieved pile of rotted compost. These have been left undisturbed and will stay there untill I know whether or not they have taken.

A couple of the prunings I threw onto a new compost heap definitely rooted. Sometimes Nature just doesn't read the books!

I think though the general rule is grafted hybrids are difficult but may respond to layering whilst 'own root' heirloom roses and climbers are easy. In any event the cuttings must never dry out and if you can have everything ready then get your cuttings taken, prepared and firmed in within 1/2 hour you'll give them their best chance.

 

I found like frogesque says, Hybrid T's are difficult to root and if they do root then the plant is usually very weak and spindly (its the rootstock it is grafted on to that gives it its vigour)

Climbers ramblers and varieties such as rosa rugosa do strike cuttings easily and the cuttings usually grow as good as the parent plant

 

thanx to all!!!

 

Just to prove a point - here's some I did earlier.

I had a look to see how they were progressing today - these are some I stuck in a pot. Coming along nicely.


Taken last September, cleancut, trimmed with a sharp knife, square top, 45�° bottom, own compost, no hormone powder. They've been kept outside, well sheltered, tucked up beside a wall in the shade of trees.

 

Looking a frogesque's healthy cuttings reminded me of how lovley, but spitefully thorny, roses can be.

 

Just to update this topic:

The potted cuttings didn't perform too well and I only have one come through. I just hope my solitary red one survives (my fault as I tried to plant them out far too soon). The undisturbed ones in the ground though are doing great, about 1/2 rooted and this is some of the results! Definitely worth trying.