Can You Grow a Rose Bush From a Cutting?

Propagate your favorite roses through cuttings.

Roses range from diminutive tea roses to plants that produce tall, stately canes with large, single blooms. There are many shapes and shades to choose from, and they offer your garden a splash of vivid color and greenery. If you have a rose bush that you are fond of, you can take a cutting and propagate it in another area of your yard. Propagating roses through cuttings is a straightforward process.

Time Frame

While you may take rose cuttings at any time of year, consider taking them during January or February, while you are doing the winter pruning. Because the plant is dormant, it will not be as stressed as it would be if you took cuttings during the growing season. You may also take cuttings during the late fall, after the blooms have died.

Equipment

To take a cutting from a rose bush, you will first need a pair of very sharp, clean clippers. This allows for a clean, straight cut that does not traumatize the parent plant. You will also need rooting hormone powder and small containers filled with potting soil.

Process

Choose the stem you wish to cut, and make the cut between 4 and 6 inches down on the cane. Remove all the leaves and lightly dampen the cut end of the cutting with water. Then dip the cut end into rooting hormone and lift it out, shaking off the excess. Press the cutting into a container filled with potting soil, and water thoroughly. Keep the cutting moist.

Considerations

Take at least two or three cuttings from each rose bush you want to propagate. There is a chance that some of the cuttings simply will not take, and several cuttings allows for more chances of success. Propagating roses from cuttings makes a clone of the parent plant, and the faults will be reproduced as well. Viruses in the parent plant are present in the cuttings, so check the parent plant to ensure that it is completely healthy before taking cuttings.

Warnings

Some rose varieties do not root readily, so take a few cuttings and be ready to try again. In addition, some roses are delicate varieties grafted on to sturdier root stock. In this case, the cutting may produce roots, but it will not be as hardy as the parent plant. In addition, it is illegal to reproduce patented rose varieties -- such as Knock Out roses -- as they may only be reproduced legally with a license from the patent holder.

References

• University of California; Propagating Roses by Cuttings
• University of Rhode Island; Starting Roses From Cuttings; George R. Miller; 2001