How to Get a Start Off a Knockout Rose
Knockout roses are beautiful roses growing up to 3 to 4 feet tall and wide, adding a brilliant charm to your garden or landscaped front yard. Because knockout roses require little care, people with no green thumb find them to be a rose that a novice can grow successfully. You can add more plants to your knockout rose display by getting a start, or propagating, your knockout rose. While this can be a trial-and-error experiment, if you do it correctly you will have more knockout roses to smile about. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Cut at a 45-degree angle a 6- to 8-inch knockout rose stem off a plant that has finished blooming, recommends Dr. William C. Welch of Texas A&M University. Make the cut on the stem before a new leaf node or bud eye grows. Make sure the pruning shears blades are sharp before cutting.
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Remove the dead blooms and leaves off the stem down to the first set of healthy leaves. Morrison Gardens suggest leaving some leaves on the stem "to provide sugars from photosynthesis as well as root-promoting hormones."
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Place the stems in a container with a root hormone in order to promote healthy roots. Follow directions on the manufacturer's label.
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Choose a location for the stems that has shade in the afternoon with soil that is sandy and well-drained, preferably against the foundation of the house. Indirect sunlight is best for rooting purposes. Amend the soil with 1/4 to 1/3 peat moss or composted pine bark, advises Dr. William C. Welsh of Texas A&M University.
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Place the stems about halfway into the bed, spacing them 6 to 8 inches apart. Water well every other day to ensure moisture and to promote healthy roots. Transplant to their final location once they have a large root system, suggests Morrison Gardens
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References
- Photo Credit Rose stem with thorns and water drops on the leaves. image by Dragan Trifunovic from Fotolia.com
