From: klier@cobra.uni.edu
Subject: Re: Propagating Roses
Date: 10 Oct 93 15:01:32 -0500

jastuart@rodan.syr.edu (Jeffrey A Stuart) writes:
> I know this has been covered previously, but could someone please go
> over this again for me?  I have several roses that I have tried
> without success to propagate (including Angel Face, and some shrub
> types) several times over the summer.  I take a cutting with at
> least two leaves on it after the flower has faded, cut the hip off,
> dip in rooting hormone powder, and place it in firmly packed peat
> moss/perlite which is moist.  The potted cutting is then placed in a
> mini greenhouse for humidity, and kept in a shaded area.  So far,
> out of about 12-15 attempts, only one seems to have been successful
> (Rose Gruss an Aachen - not sure about the spelling there).

I usually propagate roses from fall cuttings, using wood of this
year's growth that is pretty well mature.  I also prefer to remove
hips from branches that I'll be propagating from several weeks before
I take cuttings (or better yet, I'll disbud).  Flowers and fruits take
a lot of energy from the plant, and I prefer to have the cuttings
stuffed with starch, not exhausted.

I also make cuttings a bit larger than yours: usually 4-6 nodes,
leaving three leaves intact, and dipping the base of the cutting in
rooting hormone.  Be sure you're using the strength suggested for
roses: too strong or too weak will decrease your success.

Finally, keep the humidity up.  Before I had access to mist beds, I
used to propagate plants in a two-pot system: The cuttings went in
perlite in a smallish clay pot (ca. 6" diameter), and that pot was
placed inside a pot 2-4" larger in diameter.  The space between the
pot walls was stuffed with wet sphagnum.  The whole contrivance was
placed under "tent stakes" that were taller than the cuttings, and
clear plastic was draped over the stakes, leaving enough open for good
air circulation.

Kay Klier  Biology Dept   UNI