How to Plant Rose Cuttings With a Glass Jar
Propagation of roses was done with glass jars prior to the invention of plastic bags. Wide mouth mason jars were in abundance because everyone canned food to save over the winter. Rooting a cutting from a rose requires consistent moisture and humidity and the Mason jar over the top provides enough for a rose to root and grow. Take cuttings late spring or early fall and with a little bit of care the rose population in the garden will multiply. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Garden tiller
- Agricultural sand
- Compost
- Peat moss
- Existing rose plant
- Pruning shears
- Rooting hormone
- Quart-sized Mason jars
- 4-inch pot
- Shovel
Instructions
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Rooting in the Ground
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1
Prepare a location where the cutting will be temporarily planted. Keep cuttings out of direct sunlight in an east or north facing area against a building. Sandy soil is required, so add enough agricultural sand to make the soil noticeably sandy. Use a garden tiller to mix it in, and add about 1 inch of compost or peat most to make the soil airy.
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2
Cut a 6 to 8 inch stem from an existing plant that has recently bloomed and withered. Cut at a 45-degree angle, and remove the flower heads and last set of leaves before the cut.
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3
Dip the bottom in rooting hormone and insert it into the ground several inches to half of the length of the cutting. Firm the soil around the cutting and water well.
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4
Place the mouth of the jar over the cutting. Make sure the plant does not touch the top of the jar. Twist the jar into the ground to make it stay upright.
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5
Watch to see if condensation appears on the jar in the next few hours. If it diminishes or dissipates at any time, water around the jar well.
Rooting in a Pot
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6
Fill a 4-inch pot with commercial potting soil. Make a hole in the middle with a finger and fill the hole with agricultural sand.
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7
Prepare a stem by cutting, stripping old blooms and bottom leaves and inserting it in rooting hormone.
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8
Insert the cutting into the sandy center half its length and firm the cutting into the pot. Remaining leaves should not touch the soil.
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9
Dig a hole in the rooting garden big enough to accommodate the pot up to the rim. Insert the pot and firm it into the soil.
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10
Place the jar over the top of the cutting and inside the edges of the pot. Water around the edge of the pot when condensation on the jar fades.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Pot planting allows the roots to come out easily when it is time to plant in a permanent site. The rose cutting grows in just a few months. Remove the jar and let it stay in the rooting garden a few days, then move it to its permanent home.
Never put jar method roses in full sun as the glass will super heat and kill the cutting. Space cuttings 8 inches apart to allow for good air circulation.
