When to Clip and Plant Rose Clippings?

Grow your own rosebush from a stem cutting.

One successful way many gardeners propagate roses is through cuttings. Stems are cut from healthy rosebushes and planted. The rose stems form their own roots and can grow into independent rose plants. Take a few more cuttings than the number of rose plants you want to grow just in case some do not root. You can take rose cuttings any time of the year, but several conditions should be met.

Rose Varieties

You can propagate any rosebush from a clipping, but newer varieties younger than 17 years old are still under patent and cannot be propagated without paying royalties to the patent holder. Rose varieties, such as Gallica roses, tend to produce a lot of suckers; therefore, grafting them to another type of rose rootstock may be a better option than using root cuttings.

When to Clip

While you can take a rose clipping at any time of the year, according to Texas A&M University, doing it in the late fall and early winter usually yields a higher success rate. Many gardeners take cuttings just as their roses finish blooming in the fall so they can easily identify the type of roses they are cutting. It's also easy to select a healthy looking branch at this time.

How to Clip

Use clean, sharp pruning shears that have been sterilized with rubbing alcohol. Choose a healthy stem that is about as thick as a pencil and about 6 to 8 inches long. Cut the stem off at a 45-degree angle just above the stem's parent branch or leaf node, where the stem is swollen just a bit. If you collect cuttings on a hot day, place the cuttings in a plastic bag and place them in a cooler with ice. This will help prevent the cutting from drying out. The sooner you begin to root them, the better.

One Way to Root

Remove the flowers and hips (seedpods) down to the first set of healthy leaves. Also remove the leaves on the bottom half of the stem. Clip them off with a sharp, clean pair of hand clippers. Then dip the bottom couple of inches in a commercial rooting hormone. While this is not necessary, it will help the stem root. Place moist, high-quality potting soil in a container, make a hole with a pencil in the soil and place the cutting in the container. Place a couple of pencils or wooden stakes in the pot next to the cutting and cover it with a clear plastic bag tied at the bottom to help hold in humidity. Place the container in an area with bright light but not directly in the sun. Keep the soil moist. In a couple of months, give your rose cutting a little tug; if you feel some resistance, you know it's setting good roots.

References

• Texas A&M University; Rose Propagation From Cuttings; William C. Welch;
• Mississippi State University Extension; Rose Propagation