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Growing

The basic starting point for all gardens and gardeners is knowing how to grow and look after your own plants successfully. Gardening is a skill that is learnt over many years, but some of the essential elements can be established quite quickly. The following brief guide will help you to gain an understanding of general plant growing techniques, covering sections like seeds, seedlings, plants, cuttings and related subjects.

Growing plants from seed - Propagating Roses

There are several methods for propagating roses, the most common being rooting cuttings. Traditionally late summer and early autumn are the favoured times for taking cuttings, but it is possible to take a cutting at almost any time of the year.

Rooting rose cuttings can be a difficult job, and you should consult other sources for specific details related to the species you are trying to propagate.

Remember, that many modern hybrid roses are grafted onto a root stock, this means that the cutting you take could result in a different rose type from the one you intended.

General guidelines

Take the cutting from "new wood" - the portion of the stem just below the bloom. Remove any blossoms and make your cuttings about 4 - 6 in. long. Try to include at least two leaf sets on the cutting.

With a sharp knife, select about 2 in. below the bottom leaf set and lightly scratch the outer layer of the stem down to the cambium layer (the lighter green portion just under the bark), but not down into the cream-coloured core wood. Scratch the bark all the way around the bottom of the cutting.

Dip the scratched end of the cutting in a rooting hormone. Insert the cutting into a moistened potting mixture. This mixture should be loose and well-drained. Keep the mixture moist, but not water-logged. Place the cutting in partial shade. When new growth appears, you know your rooting procedure worked.