You Can Use Rose Cuttings to Grow New Plants—Here's How
There's nothing we love more than a flower bed filled with bountiful, blooming roses. While grabbing a potted shrub at your local nursery might be the easiest path to instant garden gratification, you can also use the stems from your own existing roses to grow brand-new plants using just a few basic supplies (including rooting hormone, a product—usually in powder form—that stimulates new root growth) and some patience.
To find out how to successfully grow roses from cuttings—also known as propagating—we spoke to House Beautiful contributor and gardening expert Eddie Ross. Read on for his step-by-step instructions.
You'll Need:
Established, healthy rose plant
Rooting hormone
Perlite
Potting soil
Garden shears
Permanent marker
Liter plastic bottle
Hobby knife
Packing tape
Scissors
How to Propagate Roses:
1. Locate a stem on your rose plant that's healthy and relatively new. Using sharp pruning shears, remove several sections about 6 to 8 inches in length, cutting at a 45-degree angle.
2. Remove any buds, leaves or smaller stems. Store the cutting in water until ready to use.
3. Use a permanent marker to write the rose variety on one end of each stem. This will ensure you don't get them mixed up!
4. Now you'll create a mini "greenhouse" to protect your cuttings as they take root. Start by using a hobby knife to cut the top off of an empty plastic bottle. (It's a great way to recycle used soda bottles!) Don't cut all the way through though—leave a small bit attached to act as a hinge.
5. In a separate large container, make your potting mixture by combining perlite (an additive used to aerate soil) and potting soil. The amount will depend on the number of containers you want to fill, but you'll want to stick to a ratio of 70 percent perlite to 30 percent soil.
6. Fill each bottle halfway with the growing mixture.
7. Use your shears to scrape off the outer layer of each cutting, about half an inch from the base. (Don't strip the side that's labeled!)
8. Wet the exposed section, then sprinkle with rooting hormone (or just dip it straight into the powder).
9. Plant the cutting into the growing mixture, covering about 60 percent of the stem. If you have thinner cuttings, you can plant up to three per container.
10. Water generously.
11. Tape the bottle back together.
12. Keep your roses in a sunny spot and continue to water every other day.
Your roses should begin to take root within a month or two. Once the roots are well established (or if leaves begin to sprout), you can move the plants to a container or flower bed!
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