The EASIEST Way to Propagate Roses | How to Propagate a Rose from a Cutting, by The Plant Doctor on YouTube. 12 min 30 s.
- Video length
- 12 min 30 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes plus 6 to 8 weeks r
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Pick a healthy, disease-free rose bush and choose stems that have just finished flowering. Avoid soft new growth and very old woody stems.
Water the bush the day before you cut so stems are full of moisture. Clean your pruners with rubbing alcohol to stop disease spreading.
Cut a stem about 6 to 8 inches long with 3 or 4 leaf nodes. Make the cut just below a node at the bottom and above a node at the top.
Strip the lower leaves so only the top two remain. Cut the remaining leaves in half to reduce water loss.
Dip the bottom inch of the cutting in rooting hormone. Tap off the excess so the powder or gel is a thin coat.
Mix potting mix with perlite, about 2 parts mix to 1 part perlite, for good drainage and airflow. Fill small pots and firm the mix.
Poke a hole in the mix with a pencil, push the cutting in so two nodes sit below the surface, and firm the mix around it.
Water well and cover with a humidity dome or a clear plastic bag. Keep the pot warm and bright but out of direct sun.
Check moisture every few days and mist when the surface starts to dry. After 6 to 8 weeks, tug gently to test for roots.
Tips and common mistakes
Take several cuttings at once, since not every one will root.
Mould under the dome means too much moisture, so open it for a few hours.
Keep the mix damp but never soggy, or the stem will rot before roots form.
Move rooted cuttings to a larger pot before planting them out in the garden.
Questions
When is the best time to take rose cuttings?
Late spring to early summer, when stems have just flowered, gives the best rooting. Softwood cuttings from this growth root faster than old wood.
Do I need rooting hormone?
It is not essential, but it improves your success rate and speeds up root growth. A thin coat is enough, and too much can stop roots forming.
How do I know the cutting has rooted?
New leaves and a gentle tug that meets resistance are good signs. Roots usually form in 6 to 8 weeks, so be patient before potting up.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
