Fall Rose Propagation by Cuttings

Did you know that fall is considered to be the optimal time to propagate roses by cuttings in Texas? The premise is that cuttings will have all winter to rest in a protected location and form new roots, free from the challenges of harsh summer conditions. It may be tempting to plant the newly rooted roses in the garden the following spring, but young plants will still be tender and planting should be delayed until fall.

During the fall bloom and while rose hormones are abundant, 6 to 8 inch cuttings may be taken from stems that have spent blooms on them. Remove the bloom, preferably keeping 4 sets of leaflets below the bloom, and be sure to keep the cuttings well-hydrated until they’re stuck into the rooting medium. A good rule of thumb for sticking cuttings is to have 2 leaf nodes above the rooting medium and 2 inserted into the medium.

Use of a rooting hormone is optional. Rooting media can consist of a peat and perlite mix, a mixture of perlite and vermiculite, a sterile soil-less mix which usually contains peat and perlite, sand, or any combination of media that maintains moisture while new roots form. Never allow cuttings to dry out. Rooting in water is not recommended because the roots will be brittle. Cuttings will need indirect light, but should never receive direct sunlight during the rooting process.

There are numerous methods for propagating roses. Detailed information can be found on http://aggiehorticulture.tamu.edu/southerngarden/roseprop.html.

If you’re interested in reading about some of the methods used by members of the Texas Rose Rustlers, check out http://texasroserustlers.com/TRR_article1.pdf.

This entry was posted on 30 November 2009 at 16:55 and is filed under Roses. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.