Topic: rose cuttings

[carrot-cruncher]

Howdy folks,

Does anybody know how to take a cutting from a climbing rose to start another bush?

Also, when's the best time to take the cutting.   The bush in question is just coming into flower & a friend really really loves the colour of the flowers & i've promised her a cutting if I can get one.

[Gardengirl]

Hi CC - I am not an expert on roses but I can tell you that a friend gave me cuttings one autumn and I am pleased to say it grew into the most beautiful climber.  I don't think cuttings should be taken until after they finish flowering, but no doubt someone more knowledgeable will confirm.  I think like most cuttings, it should be taken just below a leaf, on the slant, remove leaves and then plant quite a few inches into the ground.  That's how I did mine and it worked :)

[Muddy_Boots]

No expert here either but I have grown new plants from prunings, taking a pruning with three levels of buds and pushing into ground, leaving the top two buds just above the soil.  Took a while but about half of prunings planted made plants.  Is best with autumn prunings.  They like a bit of sand underneath to improve drainage.

Good luck

[Garden Manager]

The easiest way to grow roses from cuttings is the 'Hardwood' method.

In autumn select this years growth of about pencil thickness and cut them about 7 or 8 inches long. make sure cuts are clean and are above and below a leaf node (that is so that the top has a node or bud and the bottom has one as well). to distinguish top from bottom make a sloping cut on the top and a straight one on the bottom.  The cuttings can either be planted in a slit trench in a spare patch of groung (that wont be needed for about a year), or placed around the edge of a deep pot filled with compost.  Keep watered in dry spells and leave for 9 - 12 months and hopefully you will have nice new plants to plant out in the garden.  ;D

They say roses from cuttings are difficult. This is not true, with patience it is perfectly possible to grow your own roses from cuttings. I have sucessfuly propagated old rose bushes in my garden in this way. They will invariably be stronger and healther on their own roots than those budded onto a rootstock (and no weedy suckers either to get rid of either).

Hope this helps. :)

[derbex]

I assume that this would work for a dog rose too? We have one that has invaded a holly bush that we want to get rid of -but the rose would look wonderfull in our hedge.

Presumeably the rose got there by seeding itself -can you grow them from seed and how should you collect it?

Jeremy

[Garden Manager]

I assume that this would work for a dog rose too? We have one that has invaded a holly bush that we want to get rid of -but the rose would look wonderfull in our hedge.

Presumeably the rose got there by seeding itself -can you grow them from seed and how should you collect it?

Jeremy

Hello Jeremy

Yes hardwood cuttings would work fine for a dogrose (or any other species rose).

Growing from seed takes as much patience as cuttings.

Firstly let the rose produce seed pods or hips. When ripe harvest as many as you need.  Now you need to seperate the seed from the flesh of the hip. You can either do this straight away (very messy!) or you can let the flesh rot away a bit before seperating out the seeds, doing the later does not harm the seed (it is very tough!).

Now you need to find out if any of the seed are viable. To do this drop them in a bowl of cold water. Those that sink to the bottom are OK, those that float are no good.

Get a pot/ tray (whatever you use for seed sowing) and fill with seed compost.  Sow as normal.  The seed needs chilling (stratification) to break dormancy. this can either be done by placing in the fridge (not freezer) for a few weeks then placing in a warmer spot to germinate, or if you have the patience leave out over winter and DONT protect from frost, just dont let it get waterlogged or too dry.  The seed should germinate the following spring. If it doesnt dont throw it away, it may need further chilling (eg a second winter) to germinate all the seed.  

i tried this method with some wild rose seed, the first spring a handfull of the seed germinated. I then left the pots and forgot about them until this spring - when more seedlings appeared.

I did warn you this needs patience!

Hope this helps

[derbex]

Thanks Richard,

I've mailed the message back to me in the (vain) hope that I'll remember come autumn.

Jeremy