Some root better at different times of the year. Spring vs. early summer vs. fall.

Cuttings from a big strong well-fed plant give a better chance of success than cuttings from a rose that's just barely hanging on. This has been a major factor in rooting success for me.

Try different methods. One may work better for you than another, one may work better at a different time of year. Baggie vs. soda bottle vs. inside under grow lights vs. just sticking some cuttings into the ground in a shady spot, etc.

When all else fails, try layering: pulling down a cane, scarring it, pinning it to the ground and waiting a year.

I'll second hoovb's suggestion of trying different methods until you develop a system that works for you. Albas generally root pretty well for me, 'Queen of Denmark' being the exception (I'm currently trying hoovb's layering technique on it), while I struggle with Noisettes that many people find easy. I agree that time of year for rooting may be an issue. I've always started cuttings in fall, in the ground in a cold greenhouse, which in my mild climate works fine for most roses. Now I finally have a north facing wall with some clear space at the base of it, and next summer I want to try to root roses that I've failed at before like the Noisettes. My problem with summer rooting has been what you say: too much heat, sun, and dryness. People who root roses in cold climates have a different set of conditions to deal with than I have: I remember a forumist from New York state talking about her difficulties. Like you, she had trouble rooting Albas.

I don't use rooting hormone, and don't know how much of a difference it would make. Lots and lots of roses root just fine without hormone. If it did make a 10% difference, just to throw a number out at random, that would count for something.

You're talking mostly about once-blooming roses. I have a question myself about the maturity of the growth to take in fall: use the new shoots that have grown over the summer, or the older shoots that flowered in late spring? I've been hedging my bets and taking some of both, but I imagine it makes a difference.

Custom rooting could also be because these roses unfortunately aren't that popular. I've had very mixed results attempting to root the once-blooming roses of European origin, but quite a few are not that hard to propagate from cuttings.

Melissa

From my experience, I have learned these things:

1. Plants that sucker are best propagated by suckers.

2. Consider the age of the cutting. Some varieties won't root/mature if the cutting is too soft or hard.

3. Some roses are not good on their own roots (many hybrid teas), and it's not worth the bother.

4. Like hoovb said, the current health/age of the source plant will make a huge difference.

5. I have found a mist system to be superior method for rooting most varieties.

6. Only experience is going to help with the best time is to take a particular variety cutting. This will also vary with your climate.

7. I don't find that rooting hormone makes much difference.

I think there is some luck involved too, in where you make the cut on the cutting and how you scar it. Probably the challenge is one of the things that makes propagating roses fun.

What method(s) are you currently using?

I too find some of the albas and centifolias a bit more difficult to root. After some trying and failing, I have come to the conclusion that some varieties take longer to root than others. They seem to take a long time to produce callus around the cutting surface before they form any roots. I have seen this with some albas and some hybrid perpetuals. Some are a bit more reluctant to produce roots from cuttings, but it looks like all varieties fairly easily do.

My approach to the more difficult roses is: plastic-bag-over-pot-method, place them in full shadow and patience. Alfred Colomb took 10 weeks before any signs of roots, others only 4 weeks.

The largest difference between using rooting-hormone and not is that the root can grow larger in the weeks after it forms root, not at better rooting-percentage of cuttings in my experience. In the long run, it really doesn't make much difference for primitive rose-cut rooting.

I'm using the baggie method. I stick the cuttings in clear cups so I can see the roots. I've had 15 rot away out of the 60, 15 root and the rest are just hanging around. Some have now been in baggies 10 weeks down to a month. It's snowing here now, so they're sitting in the living room. It's not good.
I've never had any luck with apothecary rose or rosa foetida types like Harison's Yellow. They just rot away immediately.
They always say to use a cutting from a spent rose, but my speediest rooting has been from new spring growth.
I wonder what the success rate is from misting. Right now I'm guessing I'll end up with 40%.
Another thing I've read about is giving vitamin B-1 on hydroponics websites. And I'm curious about rooting gel versus powder. I think rooting products do something, but only if it's real fresh.
I know I should be on the propagation forum, but it's a desert over there anymore.

I know those who produce miniature roses that are for sale all year round, fully flowering in pots; they use very small cuttings of fresh growth, only two leafs. They do it in green houses with ideal humidity and temperature of course.

The last few years I have noticed they propagate ordinary garden roses like Clair Renaissance, Chrystal Palace, and others this way. They come in larger pots and are small plants, but with lots of flowers and buds. All produced in a short time, and only available in summer.

I get miniatures out of the bargain bin at the store and take them home and fix them up.
I had another Ash Wednesday root today. What got me interested in Ash Wednesday was a HGTV story about a lady with a rose garden down south who had a hedge of Ash Wednesday. Now I know why. Ditto with Bleu Magenta. It was a picture from Mottisfont of Bleu Magenta covering their trellises that got me going there. So I discovered Bleu Magenta's parent was rosa multiflora which is good to zone 2. I've tried everything to get a climbing rose, pretty much, and the canes die right to the ground.
Blue Magenta lost its canes same as usual. Sure roots good, though.
My next tester for a climbing rose is Victorian Memory/Isabella Skinner, crossed with rosa laxa. After that, I'm giving it up.
I think I'm getting a root on rosa centifolia today. My cuttings seem happier in the livingroom than out on the porch in the shade, so maybe they were lonely.