I Propagated My First Rose Bush!
By mentalward
@mentalward (14690)
United States
October 24, 2008 5:43am CST
I'm so happy! My son bought a house that had a rose bush in the front yard. When it blossomed this summer, I was awe-stricken at the beautiful shade of red of the roses! I can't describe the color, only that it was the most 'soothing' shade of red I've ever seen.
I wanted one so badly! I just recently learned how to root cuttings of softwood bushes but had never tried rooting a rose bush cutting. Well, I tried it with a cutting from my son's rose bush. Just one. I coated the bottom half with rooting hormone, stuck it in a potting soil/sand mixture out on my deck and placed a mason jar over it. My mother had told me that her grandmother had showed her this trick.
Since the weather was turning cold (below freezing), I brought the planter inside, in a cool location, and kept it moist. Just last night I noticed new growth on my little cutting! That means that there are new roots!!! I'm ecstatic!
Now, I just have to keep it alive until Spring when I can plant it outside. It's still way too young and the roots are very small, so it would freeze and die if I planted it outside right now.
I'm so happy! I'll definitely post a picture of my rose bush when it gets it's first blossoms but, right now, it only has a very small amount of new growth. As a matter of fact, I'll post a picture of the new growth as soon as I find my camera.
Has anyone else ever rooted a cutting from a rose bush, or anything else for that matter? If so, what kind of rooting mix did you use? I'd love to hear of other success stories like mine.
7 people like this
15 responses
@selece (2357)
• Philippines
24 Oct 08
Wow, I love roses. Wish I could grow some here in our yard but I think they won't survive the hot weather since we don't have the necessary tools to keep them alive. Looking forward to your roses. Hehe. I don't have a successful story to share... All I can say is my frustration! Haha! I want to grow roses in our yard! Why can't I?! Whyyyyyyyyy?!
I think it would be cool to be able to grow some and give them as a gift to special people. It would be really soothing to see them bloom too. Ugh.
Goodluck to you and to your rose bush.![](/Content/images/emotes/thumbup.gif)
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@mentalward (14690)
• United States
24 Oct 08
Thanks, selece! I'm sorry you can't grow a rose bush! Well, I'm sure you could if you were willing to devote a lot of time and money on them, you know, providing shade, maybe a fan to keep them cooler, lots of fertilizer, etc. etc. I guess you'll have to settle on cut roses for now.
I think that's a great idea, giving them as gifts! I'm sure most of the people I know would love to get one! There's one friend I wouldn't give one to, though. She has managed to kill everything I've given her so far! I had even rooted a ficus tree (my very first success at rooting anything!) that I gave to her and she killed it. She has a green thumb, she just tends to forget to water them! ![](/Content/images/emotes/cry.gif)
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1 person likes this
@selece (2357)
• Philippines
25 Oct 08
Yeah, maybe I'll do that when I find a stable job after I graduate. Hehe.
Aww, I guess she's pretty busy that she tends to forget about it. Hehe. I think homemade plants are really good gifts, because you put in so much love and effort to take care of them. Basically you are offering something our of sincerity and hard work. Hehe. That's really nice of you to give them as gifts. Can I have one too? Haha.![](/Content/images/emotes/lol.gif)
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@LadyMarissa (12148)
• United States
24 Oct 08
Many years back when I was working in Virginia, I rented a townhouse in early spring that had a beautiful white rose bush next to the porch. The house across the driveway had a gorgeous red rose bush next to their porch. The aroma they emitted was one step closer to Heaven. I so enjoyed sitting out on my porch enjoying that heavenly aroma. The next spring when our rose bushes bloomed. My beautiful white roses has numerous small red splotches all over them & their gorgeous red roses had white splotches all over them. They still carried that wonderful aroma. The next spring my white roses had larger blotches of red & theirs larger blotches of white. This continued on for several years until we BOTH had some of the most beautiful variegated roses you have even seen. On their most beautiful year, I moved into a larger home in a better neighborhood. I never had the chance to get back to the old neighborhood to see the progress of those roses. I've always wondered if the white roses turned completely red & the red turned completely white or how they continued in their merging. That was one of those small miracles of nature that holds me in awe!!! I do hope your cutting turns into one of the most beautiful & enjoyable bushes that gives you as much pleasure as mine did!!!
2 people like this
@mentalward (14690)
• United States
24 Oct 08
Thank you, Lady! That was a beautiful story! I love hearing things like this. Cross-pollination can wreak havoc for some gardeners, but every now and then you hear a story like yours where something so beautiful comes from it! They probably both stayed varigated.
One of the first things I did when we moved to this house was to plant rose bushes near the front door. There's nothing like walking outside and smelling those beautiful flowers right away, or walking inside and carrying that aroma inside with you!
I'll make sure to keep you updated on my little rose bush. It's so cute right now!
1 person likes this
@LadyMarissa (12148)
• United States
25 Oct 08
Yes, please keep me updated on the success of your venture there. I've thought of buying a red & white rose bush just to see if I could duplicate the roses I mentioned. If I had known a little more of what I was doing, I do believe I could have entered them in a contest & won first prize. They were beautiful flowers!!!
@WebMann (4731)
• Canada
24 Oct 08
That's pretty cool. We have a few rose bushes on our property but they are not in the locations we would like. I will have to try your technique and see if I can start a rose bush hedge along one side of our property.
I pass a few homes that have rose bush hedges and as long as they keep them trimmed they look great and then when they flower, well you know how beautiful they are.
We have a few plants that we have broken into multiple plants so we could grow them on other areas of our backyard garden. They seemed to move quite well, I hope the same goes for our rose bushes.
I broke up a bleeding heart this past spring and started it in a new location,. It seems fine but we will see come spring.
@msmargo (361)
• United States
24 Oct 08
Hi there. I have rooted rose clippings. There is an abandoned bed and breakfast up the street from me and there are some old roses in the front yard up against the front yard fence. The roses are yellow and I don't have any yellow roses. The cuttings I took were rooted in a compound and potted in potting soil for outdoor growth. Hopefully I will have yellow roses next year. I have pink baby roses growing up against my house. This rose was grown from a slip I took from a plant my mother planted at my grandparents house. My mother and my grandparents are now gone, but I have my roses.
@singout (980)
• United States
25 Oct 08
If I tried to do anything like that the roses would probably come up brown like my thumb. I stay as far away from house plants as possible because my even handling them would kill them. My wife is the one with the green thumb. Congratulations on the discovery of another special talent.![](/Content/images/emotes/happy.gif)
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@dragon54u (31634)
• United States
24 Oct 08
I never used the rooting hormone but I recently read that I can cut some off my impatiens and grow them in water then plant them. I'll be planting them tomorrow! The roots are very nice now and I hope to have a bunch to plant next spring.
I'm very happy your rose cutting is healthy, I look forward to seeing the pictures!
2 people like this
@mentalward (14690)
• United States
24 Oct 08
Thanks, dragon! I've got a couple of things rooting in water myself... coleus and purple passion. I've started a few things from cuttings that don't root in water but this is my first attempt at a rose bush.
Take pictures of your impatiens when they're planted, too!
2 people like this
@EvrWonder (3571)
• Canada
27 Oct 08
Congradulations. Your soil medium mix must of been just right for your rose bush cutting. Good for you. I have made cuttings from rose bushes with success as my specialty is propagation. I make babies from pretty much everything. Most all of the plants I grow are either from seed or cutting and all perennials.
It is not the right time of year to plant your new plant out side. You must wait until a week or so before spring turns to summer but with no chance of frost wither.
Do not keep your rose bush wet. Also misting your cuttings (lightly) 3 times a day, while their roots are establishing, helps the plant get the needed water. They will take the moisture through the foliage as there are no roots on a cutting to "drink" the required moisture. Also do not fertilize your plant until there is sunshine for the plant to utilize the food.
Best of luck! Can't wait to see your rose.
@mentalward (14690)
• United States
27 Oct 08
Thank you so much for that great advice, EvrWonder. My little baby is under a fluorescent light with a fan to circulate the air around it. I'm keeping it misted several times a day as you mentioned. I also keep my plants in 'groups' to help keep the humidity level up around them.
I experimented with the soil medium quite a bit before I hit on the right combination. Propagation really does take patience! I'm certainly not ready to start any hardwood cuttings yet! They take forever! LOL I'd be so tempted to pull on them to see if they've grown any roots, probably well before they did! So, I'll hold off on hardwood cuttings for awhile.
I attempted to graft an apple tree cutting once and it worked! I was absolutely thrilled! I just don't feel as comfortable using that method (yet) as I am with rooting.
Do you do this for a living or are you simply as hooked on it as I am? I want to start a plant nursery of rooted cuttings and seeds. I've already sold some things but would love to do it on a larger scale. Any suggestions?
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@crazy_ol_lady (1014)
• United States
24 Oct 08
Hi mental,
I have a beautiful Classic American Red Rose bush, that smells just wonderful. I have tried to take cuttings, but had no luck. I will be trying again in the spring. I am amazed that I have had this rose bush for about thirty years now.
A friend of my daughter's took a couple of slips a few years back, but I don't know if she had any luck with it. I tried twice and had no success at all.
I have seperated all kinds of bulbs and had a much bigger crop. Spread all these extra bulbs around and make the yard look so much prettier, or give them to friends and family.
I have started many cuttings in water too. That one is pretty easy, you just need lots of patience! LOL
Have a nice day...
1 person likes this
@mentalward (14690)
• United States
24 Oct 08
Hi crazy. I tried rooting a lot of things before I had any success. I experimented with different soil combinations and finally seem to have found the right one... about 2/3 soilless potting mix and 1/3 coarse sand. Vermiculite could probably work as well as sand, though. It just needs really good drainage so the cutting doesn't rot.
I'm amazed to hear about your 30-some year old rose bush! That's just awesome!
I plan on planting a view variety of daffodil each year... just one or two. After awhile, I'll be able to spread them all over the place! I have about 5 different varieties right now. I'd love to give some to the neighbors, but they also have a ton of their own! LOL Maybe I'll be able to do it once I have some of the more rare varieties growing and multiplying. I've started that with tulips and have quite a lot of different varieties. THOSE I'm sure the neighbors would like, I just don't have many of them yet.
Don't you just love it when these things divide? It's like free plants and you don't even have to go to nurseries or order them online to get them!
Happy gardening!
@littleowl (7157)
•
25 Oct 08
Hi MM congratulations on your success..that is brilliant..I am not good at gardening at all but when I was younger I used to be really good rooting plants growing them etc but now seem to of lost the touch...but congratulations on how well you have done with rose may it bloom all the blessings you deserve MM..littleowl
@mentalward (14690)
• United States
26 Oct 08
Hi littleowl. I doubt you ever lose your touch when it comes to gardening. You might lose patience or not have the time, but if you had the knack, chances are you still have it.
Thank you for the compliment! I have my little rose bush under fluorescent lights with a fan on it. I have other plants there as well, but if you try to give them the same conditions as they would get outside, they usually grow quite well.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed!
@omar0913 (942)
• Legaspi, Philippines
24 Oct 08
I have never done that yet, I'll just try it sometime. Anyway plants are like humans, you need to plant them good knowledge in order for them to grow with decency. A baby as well needs our love and caring for them to survive healthy in this world, such as what you have done to your roses.
@mentalward (14690)
• United States
25 Oct 08
You have that right! They need our care and love until they're old enough to take care of themselves... children AND plants!
I will post a photo of my little 'baby' (rose plant) as soon as I find my camera!
@bajangal (12)
• Canada
25 Oct 08
Great job, I am happy for you. I have never rooted a cutting from a Rose Bush but I have a Little Princess Spirea in my yard and my son who was also moving was looking for some shrubs for his back yard so I just got a couple of cuttings put them in the ground (no growth hormone whatsoever) and ola there there were two nice little Spirea bushes. I was quite impressed and quite happy. Maybe I will try a Rose cutting next Summer. I know it is not the same as propagating a Rose but I just had to share my luck with you. Keep up the good work.
@commanderxo (1494)
• Canada
25 Oct 08
No, not I.
My mom was the rose bush expert. She had the greenest thumb, that all she had to do was look at a plant, and it would flourish like crazy.
Me? The only cuttings that I've ever propagated, were my beard. I don't use anything for potting, and heck...it STILL keeps growing back!
;-)
cdrxo
@Opal26 (17679)
• United States
25 Oct 08
Hey mentalward! That's really cool! I never heard of that
particular trick! But I do know that the type of rooting
that you are doing is not easy! If you can get that to
grow that will be great! I hope you can! If not you can
try to do it in the Spring by taking another cutting of
your son's rose bush and doing it then! I hope it works!
I don't know anything about the method that you are using
now, but it sounds very intersting. I just love roses!
I wish I could plant a rose bush here, but the soil where
I live only grows those discusting mushrooms that I would
love to feed to people that I hate!
@mentalward (14690)
• United States
25 Oct 08
Wouldn't it be nice if all mushrooms were edible AND tasty? No one would ever starve! LOL
I have a problem with toadstools and mushrooms in the wooded area of our property, so I just let nature take care of that area. I won't even TRY to plant anything there.
You know, I've seen some pretty expensive plant propagation systems, sometimes costing hundreds of dollars. I think it's stupid and a waste of money when all you need is the right soil and a mason jar! Plastic bags work just as well and we all know the world has too many plastic bags!
There are plants that thrive in areas where mushrooms grow that are quite pretty. Bleeding hearts, hostas, daffodils and a bunch of others... just look for "shade loving plants".
@Chevee (5905)
• United States
25 Oct 08
I haven't done this lately. I used to do that a lot but now I have gotten out of the habit. My neighbors and I would share plants like that and we would get pieces of each other plants and bring them home and root them. I am planning on getting back into plants and yard work after I am without a job maybe next spring. I keep my grass mowed that is about all I do now to my yard.
@mentalward (14690)
• United States
25 Oct 08
Well, if you decide to get back into it, you know where you'll have to be... here in myLot under 'Gardening'.
I've been a gardener since I was a kid. My mother put me in charge of growing the tomatoes when I was little. I loved my job!
I've always gotten emotional strength and felt peaceful while gardening. Maybe it's because it is so rewarding. Each year, I add more and more to my vegetable and herb gardens. Since we moved here last year, and have 3 acres of land, I now have the room I've always wanted to grow whatever I want, but realized just how BIG three acres really is when you're trying to make it look pretty! LOL It's going to take a few years before I get it where I want it so I'll probably be propagating a LOT of new plants!
Let me know if/when you get back into it, okay? I'd love to hear your gardening tales! Take care!
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@eaforeman6 (8979)
• United States
24 Oct 08
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@mentalward (14690)
• United States
24 Oct 08
Thank you for that great information, eaforeman! I'm doing it the way my great-grandmother did it and it seems to be working, but I'm sure this information will come in handy for others who want to try propagating a rose bush from cuttings.
You just have to keep experimenting with different mediums, covers, the right amount of light, etc. until you hit on what works for you.
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