Okay, this is a wild chance, but a lady who lives near me has the most beautiful older rose bush, seems very healthy and disease free, a lovely soft pink, and she is more than willing to give me a cutting.. however, I have never, ever, had luck getting a rose cutting to take for me. Please anyone, advise me the best time and the best method... can I really just try to stick one in the ground? I tried several cuttings some years ago and not one took... did jars with covers, rooting compound, etc... maybe just sticking it in the ground may actually work... this rose is on its own roots too, it just sprang up on its own from a parent plant about 4 feet away... she doesn't know its name but its lovely. The parent bush is at least 40 years old she says. I'm in Nova Scotia near Yarmouth, currently getting some advice from rose forum people on better Austin or English types which will withstand the damp air here...

It's OK, Harborose, I did chuckle at your jest and I have been victimized by thieves. Let's not lose our sense of humor here, please. After all if we can't laugh surely we'll be crying. And I hate when that happens! My brother wants to get security cameras for the yard. For several years now, besides the roses being stolen, we've had our apple trees stripped clean of fruit either at night sometime or when we weren't at home for some reason. We use those apples for cooking all winter long and were very upset by the thought that someone climbed, and we think shook, the trees to get every last one down. The shaking is bad for the trees and my fear is some idiot will fall and then have the gall to sue us! We're pretty sure they went as deer bait no less because we've had several guys stop and ask if they could have them for that purpose. I really missed my applesauce, baked and apple pies the first year. Since then we've been trying to pick them earlier. They're not as sweet but at least we get some.

I live in Wichita, Kansas zone 6B, do I propagate cestrum in the fall or wait till spring. I would like to take a cutting and try it. Thinking if I did it now I would have to move the plant inside. Our temps have been unseasonably warm, temps will drop soon. If I can do it now, can I keep in the house thru out the winter than transplant outside in the spring? Thank you!

I wait until the stem of the sucker is a few inches long. I want at least three inches of stem down in the soil mix.