Growing Roses from Cuttings

Fossil evidence reveals the roses to be 35 million years old. Roses were cultivated around 5000 years ago in Asian countries. Today, there are more than 30,000 varieties of rose hybrids. Roses have been mentioned in legends and folklores of the ancient world. Roses find a place in Greek and Indian mythology.

Josephine, wife of Napoleon had a wonderful collection of 250 varieties of roses at Chateau de Malmaison, an estate located several miles west of Paris. Pierre Joseph Redoute, a botanical illustrator, used the settings of this chateau to complete his watercolor collection "Les Rose". "Les Rose" is considered as one of the finest botanical illustrations even today.

The roses in Europe were in shades of pink or white till the beginning of the 19th century. The red roses, symbol of love and romance, and the rare green roses came from China. A Frenchman Joseph Permet-Ducher introduced the yellow roses in the early twentieth century.

How to Choose a Shoot for Growing Roses from Cuttings?

You should know how to take a cutting from the mother rose plant. This is very important point when growing roses from cuttings. For instance, gently push your thumbs against the green thorns of the shoot you plan to use as a cutting. If the thorn bends and does not easily break from the shoot, the cutting is green and it takes time to root. Therefore avoid this cutting.

If the cutting does not bend easily and the thorn pricks your thumb, the cutting is too woody and would not root easily.

However, there is a time between the two above-mentioned phases. In this phase, the thorn would not bend but could be snapped off from the shoot by applying a small amount of pressure. This shoot is the best for growing a rose from a cutting.

Grow Roses from Cuttings - Simple Instructions

The materials required for growing roses from cuttings include clippers, rooting hormone, spray bottle, black potting soil, pencil, a large plastic bag and a 4-inch plastic container (preferably a nursery container).

Step 1 - Fill the 4-inch plastic nursery container with potting soil and wet the soil well. Keep this pot aside.

Step 2 - Select a healthy rose plant of your choice that is free from insect infection and fungus. Remember to cut the section of the stem that has leaves. The reason is leaves help in photosynthesis.

Step 3 - The stem should be 6-10 inches long. The leaves on the lower part of the stem have to be removed to make the joints visible. The roots will break out from these joints.

Step 4 - Dip the cut end of the rose cutting in the rooting hormone. This encourages rapid rooting. Always remember, only the area of the cut end of the stem that would be under the soil should be dipped in rooting hormone.

Step 5 - Use a pencil to make a deep hole in the nursery pot and place the cutting in it. Fill the hole firmly with soil. You have to be gentle when planting the rose cuttings.

Step 6 - Now place the potted cutting inside a clear and large plastic bag and seal the bag. Keep this away from direct sunlight. The plastic bag helps in retaining moisture and heat, thus enabling the formation of roots. In short, the polythene bag acts as a miniature greenhouse.

Step 7 - Use the spray bottle to mist the potted plant frequently. You may open the bag and reseal it after misting.

Step 8 - Remove the plastic bag after a month. However, continue misting the plant daily. By now, the rose plant would have developed a strong root system.

There are various methods to grow roses from cutting. The above-mentioned method is the easiest and could be experimented by the beginners. The other methods include the baggie method, misting method, Grandma’s mason jar and many more.