How to Take Hardwood Cuttings From Roses in Autumn and Winter - Free Rose plants!, by Walking Talking Gardeners on YouTube. 14 min 20 s.
- Video length
- 14 min 20 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Pick a healthy, disease-free stem from this year's growth. Choose one that is firm and woody, about the thickness of a pencil, not soft and green.
Clean your secateurs before you start. Wipe the blades with a cloth and a little rubbing alcohol so you do not pass on disease.
Cut the stem into sections about 20 to 25 cm long. Make a straight cut at the bottom and a slanted cut at the top so you can tell which end is up.
Trim off the soft tip and any leaves or side shoots. Leave just the bare, woody stem.
Dig a narrow slit in the soil with the spade, about 15 cm deep. Push the bottom third of each cutting into the slit, slanted end up.
Space cuttings about 15 cm apart and firm the soil back around them. Water gently to settle the soil.
Label the spot with the rose name and the date. Leave the cuttings in place through winter.
Check in spring for new shoots. Once roots and growth are strong, usually the following autumn, lift and replant them where you want them.
Tips and common mistakes
Take more cuttings than you need, as not every one will root.
Never take cuttings from a diseased or pest-ridden stem.
Keep the soil damp but not waterlogged, or the cuttings may rot.
If your soil is heavy clay, root the cuttings in a pot of gritty compost instead.
Questions
When is the best time to take rose cuttings?
Late autumn to winter, while the rose is dormant. Hardwood cuttings taken then have the best chance of rooting.
How long before the cuttings become new rose plants?
They usually root over the following spring and summer. Expect to move them to their final spot about a year after taking the cuttings.
Do I need rooting hormone?
No. Hardwood rose cuttings root well in plain soil or gritty compost without it.
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.
