Propagation of Roses

Propagation of roses By: Jeri Dykshoorn

First thing first, before you decide to do a propagation method to your roses you might want to consider some details.

When to do rose propagation A good time is either when the temperatures are between 60-80 degrees F or when the weather is cold, just after “hardening off”.

When to plant the new roses Roses usually begin to develop new roots when the soil temperatures are about 40-60 degrees F. In colder climates in the late summer roses go dormant, this is not a good time to plant “hardwood cuttings”. When the weather is about 40 degrees F you can place them in a well-isolated area until the roses start to form roots. After that is a good time to plant.

Where to plant the new roses Roses do well where they can receive about 4-5 hours of sunlight a day. This means avoid areas that have excessive competition; tall trees tend to block out the correct amount of sunlight.

When to prune your roses Pruning is best done in the winter months when the rose has gone dormant. Be sure when pruning to take out any diseased and/or broken branches.

Caring for roses Be sure not to water excessively, roses do not like to be waterlogged. Prune every year to keep disease away. Feeding, watering and mulching are your way to having a healthy looking rose bush.

After considering what where and when it is then time to propagate the rose plant. Propagation can be done in a number of ways:

Air Layering (Moss Method and the Tape Method) Ground Layering Cuttings (Softwood and Hardwood) Root Grafting

Air Layering The best way to get a real nice rose bush is to air layer it. Bright light is also very important but full sun is not desirable. Keep the growing medium as moist as possible. The Moss Method This method is the most commonly used method of propagation of roses. With a razor sharp knife cut a collar of bark off the cane where you desire roots. The cut must go into the pithy core area. Dust a very small fingertip full of root hormone on the cut area. Wrap the cut area with a handful of moist spaghnum moss. Secure a plastic sheet or bag around the moss and cut area. Use wire ties, twist ties or a piece of twine to secure the plastic and the moss into place.

The Tape Method This method is used worldwide with many different names. The goal to this method is to tightly tie using a wire tie and electrical tape (vinyl or cloth coated) around the cane of the rose bush. This will cause a great swelling to happen. The swollen area should look very tender in 3-4 days after wrapping. At this point cut the cane and remove the tape. Plant the cane into a container for the rooting to start.

Ground Layering This method is very easy to do. Just pull a limb of the rose bush to the ground, make a cut or break it. Make sure not to separate the branch into two. Cover the cut or broken part with soil and weigh it down so it will not uncover or move. After growth is seen from the cut or broken part cut off the branch right after your cut or break. Plant the new rose bush in your desired location.

Cuttings This is another method that is easy to do. In this method you take cuttings off your original rose bush. Take a cutting about the length of a pencil (about 5 nodes should be on the cutting). Remove all the leaves except for the up most set of leaves, these leaves will provide the relationship for the plant to grow roots. After taking your cutting plant it in your growing medium. Roots should form in about 2-3 weeks after planting. Rooting hormone may be used.

Root Grafting The grafting method can be done by attaching a scion, usually one to two nodal pieces, to a stock (root). An advantage of grafting is that few to no suckers are produced. After grafting the rose scion to the stock you should keep the growing medium moist. After growth is seen you may repot to a larger container or to the ground.

Credits www.texas-rose-rustlers.com www.davidaustinroses.net