100% Free Way to Grow Roses from Bare Stems (Using Kitchen Scraps!), by The Weekend Gardener on YouTube. 5 min 14 s.
- Video length
- 5 min 14 s
- Time to do it
- 15 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 6
What you need
Steps
Put clean onion peels and 5 spoonfuls of uncooked white rice in a jug. Pour 300ml boiling water over them and leave it to steep until cool.
Chop 30g of fresh onion and add it to 500ml warm tap water. Let it stand so the water picks up the onion's natural compounds.
Take a healthy, medium green rose stem about 20cm long. Cut off every leaf and thorn with sharp snips, then trim the base just below a node.
Strain both liquids and mix them together. Fill a plastic cup with clean river sand, push the stem base into the sand and water it with the mix.
Slide a clear plastic bag over the cup to hold in humidity. Open the bag for a few minutes each day so the stem gets fresh air.
Stand the cup in a warm, bright spot out of strong midday sun. Keep the sand damp, not soaking, and check for roots after about 10 days.
Tips and common mistakes
Wash the river sand or bake it in the oven first to kill bacteria that cause rot.
Strain out all the rice and onion solids before watering, or they sour in the sand.
Cut the stem with clean, sharp snips and cut away from your fingers to avoid a deep slice.
Do not tug hard when checking for roots, or you will snap the new roots off.
Questions
How long until the rose stem grows roots?
Expect the first roots in around 10 days if the spot is warm. Slower stems can take three to four weeks.
Can I use potting soil instead of river sand?
River sand works better here because it holds little moisture and keeps the cut end from rotting. Potting mix stays wet too long for a bare stem.
Do I need rooting powder?
No. The onion and rice water is used in place of powder. Keep the setup warm and humid and the stem can root on its own.
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.
