How to Grow Roses From Suckers

Propagating a rose from a sucker produces a clone of the parent plant.

Suckers on roses are the unwanted offshoots that grow from the main stem of the plant. While typically pruned away and disposed of, suckers can provide a good source for cuttings to grow new roses. Suckers taken from grafted roses make good cuttings for producing new rootstock. For roses that are not grafted, cuttings from suckers will produce a clone of the original parent plant, with the same growth and blooming characteristics. Sucker cuttings are relatively easy to root using a hormone-based rooting powder. If started in the spring, sucker cuttings will be ready to transplant by late fall.

Things You'll Need

• Sharp knife
• Potting soil
• Rooting hormone powder
• 6-inch plastic flower pot
• Bailing wire
• Large, clear plastic bag
• Rubber band

Instructions

1. Cut 6 to 8 inches from the end of as many stems as you wish to propagate from the desired rose bush using a sharp knife.

2. Fill a 6-inch plastic flowerpot with potting soil. Water the soil thoroughly so that is damp but not wet. Protect the cuttings from extreme temperature changes or drying out. Remove the leaves from the lower half of each cutting. Dip the cut end of the cuttings into rooting hormone powder.

3. Fill a 6-inch plastic flowerpot with potting soil. Water the soil thoroughly so that is damp but not wet. Insert the cut end of a rose cutting approximately 3 to 4 inches into the potting soil.

4. Bend the length of bailing wire into a U-shape that's approximately 18 inches long and 4 inches wide. Insert the ends of the wire into the sides of the pot to act as a support. Place the pot into a large, clear plastic bag. Seal the bag above the wire with a rubber band. Repeat this step for as many cuttings as you wish to propagate.

5. Place each pot in a warm and well-lit area away from direct sunlight. Open each bag every day and spray the cuttings with water from a spray bottle to keep the cuttings fresh and the soil moist.

6. Continue to water the cuttings daily until the plant begins to produce new leaves. Remove the plastic bag from the pot at this time. Continue to water the cuttings as needed to keep the soil damp.

7. Place the potted cuttings outdoors during the summer months to grow them out until late fall or early winter. Trim away any tall shoots. Transplant the rose plants into your garden or landscape in the late fall or early winter.

References

• Texas A&M University: Rose Propagation from Cuttings
• Learn Two Grow: Grow More Roses with Cuttings