If you are a lover of roses but are hesitant to plant cut roses, you do not need to be misled. The process of planting roses from cuttings is very easy and simple.
Today we will try to explain to you the whole process of planting and growing a cut rose.
All you need to know about this planting and the growing process can be read below.
Softwood cuttings:
This is the most popular and easiest type of cutting and is taken when new stems are beginning to mature. The best cuttings are the same diameter as a pencil and taken just below spent blooms.
Semi-hardwood cuttings:
When the new stems are partway mature they are considered semi-hardwood. Take these cuttings in summer or late fall.
Hardwood cuttings:
Hardwood cuttings are slow to take but can still be successful. Take the cuttings in later fall or early winter when new stems are mature, hard and dormant.
Should rooting hormone be used?
Your chances of success with any type of cutting can be improved if you use rooting hormone. It can make the task of getting new roots to start a bit easier and may eliminate frustration when used.
How To Take Cuttings From Roses
Cutting the rose depends on many factors. One of the most significant is time. Before cutting the plant you should check to see if it is ready for such a process.
We advise you to make this cutting process from plants that are healthy and stable and to cut in the early morning when the rose is well hydrated.
Items you will need to cut a rose:
- Clean bypass pruners
- Small bucket with warm water
- Rooting hormone
- Shallow dish for rooting hormone
- Pencil or a small stick
Securing Rose Cuttings
- Choose a stem that is located in between a faded bloom and the base of the rose plant. Keep in mind that you can get several cuttings from one stem.
- Take off both the bloom and the stem tip. Cut on a 45-degree angle, slightly above the first set of leaves at the top. Make another cut just above the last set of leaves at the bottom. Place your cuttings in your bucket immediately.
- Cut your larger piece into smaller pieces that are about 8 inches in length. All cuttings should have at least four “nodes.”
- Remove all leaves except one set closest to the top of each cutting.
Preparing Your Planting Area
It is very important to have a well-prepared soil before you start the process of planting the rose where you plan to plant the cuttings.
Note: The faster you do the planting of the cuttings, the more effective the rose growth will be.
- Choose a spot that receives bright but not direct light.
- Break up any clumps in the soil down to about six inches.
- If your soil is heavy, add some sand so that the roots will be able to penetrate without using too much energy.
- Fill containers with equal parts of coarse sand and perlite. Water the mix thoroughly.
Planting Rose Cuttings
We came to the most important part of the process, which is planting the cuttings. Carefully follow the steps below that explain the process of planting cuttings.
- Place a small amount of rooting hormone into your shallow dish. Be careful not to pour too much because you must discard what you don’t use.
- Dip the end of the cutting into the rooting hormone, be sure that it is entirely covered in rooting hormone.
- Make a hole using a stick or pencil that is 3-4 inches deep in a rooting bed or 6 inches deep in a container. Be sure that the hole is deep enough so that you won’t brush off any of the rooting hormone when planting.
- Cover at least two nodes.
- Firm the soil up around the cutting.
How To Care Roses?
WATERING ROSES
- Diligently water your roses. Soak the entire root zone at least twice a week in dry summer weather. Avoid frequent shallow sprinklings, which won’t reach the deeper roots and may encourage fungus. In the fall reduce the amount of water, but do not allow roses to completely dry out.
- Roses love water—but don’t drown them. That is, they don’t like to sit in water, and they’ll die if the soil is too wet in winter. The ideal soil is rich and loose, with good drainage. One of the worst mistakes you can make is to not provide adequate drainage.
- Use mulch. To help conserve water, reduce stress, and encourage healthy growth, apply a 2- to 4-inch layer of chopped and shredded leaves, grass clippings, or shredded bark around the base of your roses. Allow about 1 inch of space between the mulch and the base stem of the plant.
FEEDING ROSES
- Artificial liquid fertilizers tend to promote plant growth that is soft and tender, and this type of foliage can attract aphids and other pests. Instead, rely on compost and natural fertilizers to feed your plants before and throughout the blooming cycle.
- Once a month between April and July, you could apply a balanced granular fertilizer (5-10-5 or 5-10-10). Allow ¾ to 1 cup for each bush, and sprinkle it around the drip line, not against the stem.
- In May and June, you could scratch in an additional tablespoon of Epsom salts along with the fertilizer; the magnesium sulfate will encourage new growth from the bottom of the bush.
- Banana peels are a good source of calcium, sulfur, magnesium, and phosphates—all things that roses like. (Note that it will take longer for your roses to reap the benefits from bananas than it would with pure soil amendments.) Here are three ways to serve them up:
- Lay a strip of peel at the base of each bush.
- Bury a black, mushy banana next to each bush.
- Chop up the peels, let them sit for two weeks in a sealed jar of water, and pour the mixture under each bush.
PRUNING ROSES
- When pruning, be judicious. If you prune too hard in autumn, plants can be damaged beyond recovery. Instead, wait until spring, when plants begin to leaf out for the new season. (Roses are often not the earliest plants in the garden to respond to spring’s warming temperatures, so be patient.) Give the plant time to show its leaf buds then prune above that level.
- Destroy all old or diseased plant material. Wear elbow-length gloves that are thick enough to protect your hands from thorns or a clumsy slip, but flexible enough to allow you to hold your tools. Always wear safety goggles; branches can whip back when released.
- Don’t cut back or move roses in summer, as they might suffer and die in the heat. Large rose canes can be cut back by as much as two thirds, and smaller ones to within 6 to 12 inches of the ground.
- Use pruning shears for smaller growth. Use loppers, which look like giant, long-handle shears, for growth that is more than half an inch thick. A small pruning saw is handy, as it cuts on both the push and the pull.
- Deadhead religiously and keep beds clean. Every leaf has a growth bud, so removing old flower blossoms encourages the plant to make more flowers instead of using the energy to make seeds. Remove any debris around the rose bush that can harbor disease and insects.
- Late in the season, stop deadheading rugosas so that hips will form on the plants; these can be harvested and dried on screens, away from sunlight, then stored in an airtight container.
- Stop deadheading all your rose bushes 3 to 4 weeks before the first hard frost so as not to encourage new growth at a time when new shoots may be damaged by the cold.
- Not all types of roses are pruned the same way or at the same time of year. .
WINTERIZING ROSES
- Do not prune roses in the fall. Simply cut off any dead or diseased canes.
- Clean up the rose beds to prevent overwintering of diseases. One last spray for fungus with a dormant spray is a good idea.
- Stop fertilizing 6 weeks before the first fall frost but continue watering during dry fall weather to help keep plants healthy during a dry winter.
- Add mulch or compost around the roses after a few frosts but before the ground freezes. Where temperatures stay below freezing during winter, enclose the plant with a sturdy mesh cylinder, filling the enclosure with compost, mulch, dry wood chips, pine needles, or chopped leaves (don’t use maple leaves for mulch, as they can promote mold growth).