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Summer cuttings update

21 years ago

I am pleased to report that my experiment with summer cuttings has been quite successful. My results with cuttings taken mid-December are:

Crocus Rose - 1 successful strike out of 3 (33%)

Ambridge Rose - 1 successful strike out of 4 (25%)

Leonardo da Vinci - 4 successful strikes out of 4 (100%)

I have to say I am delighted with the results as all my previous attempts to strike cuttings in winter have been rotten failures (although I know it can work). It seems to me that it makes more sense to try cuttings during the warm weather when the plants are naturally in a growth phase rather than during their winter dormancy. My method was simply to place the cuttings in a pot filled with standard grade (black ticks) potting mix, no hormone powders or wounding the base of the cutting), place in a shady spot outside and water nearly every day.

I am also guessing that Leonardo da Vinci which seemed to strike so well may in fact grow and flower better on its own roots compared to the grafted rootstock. I can't believe that all rose varieties would be better off on say Dr Huey rootstock (mostly used in SA) and suspect the practice has a lot more to do with commercial benefits than proven performance. And by the way I suspect that a great deal of the rootstocks budded in SA are infected with rose mosaic virus as this is clearly endemic in the rose bushes I see in suburban gardens as well as even on new rose bushes being trialled in the National Rose Trial Gardens.

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Comments (3)

cimmaron
21 years ago
Congratulations on your surviving cuttings.
You are right when you say that a lot of roses can do as well if not better on their own roots than grafted ones.
Some of the weaker modern H.T.s haven't the stamina to make it on their own though.
Also some roses are very hard to strike from cuttings and therefore grafting is a better alternative.
Of course it is quicker and easier for growers to take buds from a variety and graft onto rootstock.
One cutting size cane would produce 4 or 5 buds for grafting
so it is more expedient to do that.Some american nurseries are now offering 'own root' so there is a demand.
Personally I haven't seen any sign of rose mosiac but then I am in Vic so that may be the difference.
regards
sandie
Lizzy_Vic
21 years ago
Great news that you have had such success. I love getting things to grow from cuttings and seeds. I haven't been as successful as you with rose cuttings though. I got Albertine to grow using cuttings from my mum's plant and Buff Beauty was successful too. But I tried quite a few others in spring and they all rotted. I think I was trying to be too kind. I put the cuttings in potting mix in pots and then built little hot houses around them using bamboo sticks and gladwrap. They started off looking OK but after a month, they were all black and dead as dodos! Next year I will forget the hot house idea and use your approach.
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I have enough Red Spider Lilies I can send Mark some extra spiderlilies for being such a wonderful host. :) I also have the offers set aside for greenthumb, rosepedal and cottageflowers. I have unlimited 'common privet' cuttings to offer. Smells wonderful, makes a good hedge, tho I keep the ones here cut to look like a small tree. Dirtdiggin ~ I would love some blackberry cuttings! Either type, both! lol, I'm not picky, kids just love the berries! :) And I have a perfect spot for them that if they get wild it'll be fine w/ me! :) Greenthumb ~ would love an African Violet cutting if there's one left? Kamil ~ would love 1 or 2 bulbs of Star of Bethlehem.. I've heard these lil guys are crazy invasive.. but I'm willing to try some in a pot! :) Mark I'm fine w/ whatEVER the postage is! lol I have a paypal acct too so if that works I'm game as well. I'm pretty sure the rhubarb and asparagus plants are all gone, but I am hoping someone can answer questions re: these for me. I actually have seeds for both.. but from what I understand it takes 2-3 yrs before you actually get food from the plants.. is that right? I am looking over the property tomorrow.. I'm sure my mom had an oak leaf hydrangea.. just can't seem to remember where it was! Thanks everyone for the get well wishes.. I'm working on it. ~Wendy
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Dan - OK. From what I remember from lit class (which was one of my fav. Classes because we chose to explore fokelore and mythology) I believe Tom Bombadil was a free spirit that liked to explore nature at his own pace and was created by a father (don't remember his name) from a doll his son had . He used the character to create poems that are kindda "middle-earth". He was also mentioned in the new movie Lord of the rings, it was somewhere at the end when they were talking to gandorf(sp?) Gardenmom - I posted the other one before I looked at my list I may not have a passionflower left. I will have to see how much it grows from now to then. I will def. send one if I can get another cutting from it. I will leave you down for it just in case. But wanted to give you a heads up in case. Almost forgot..... **I am out of everything else previously listed *** NEW LIST: - Primrose - Pink (3 offers - maybe more I will let u know) - Vvarigated philodendron - Campion Rose Also will be posting some bulbs in a couple days :-) Keep fingers crossed on my dahlias. I may be able to share.
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i like the idea of your plan ... but i think growing in water only will be making it much harder than need be ... root them.. pot them ... and just keep starting new ones.. as they etoliate .... all winter long ... until its a 4 to 6 weeks before they can go back outdoors .. and then start good version to go outside ... in essence ... they are not aquatics.. so the water alone system.. might just be making something easy.. hard ... i would also create duplicates.. asap ... and not rely on trying to save one single specimen ... in one water glass ... odds of failure are just to high ... spread your risk ... ken
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Karen_4
21 years ago
In a shade house, in pots ,in creek sand and no hormone powder or no sliting down the sides, cuttings taken in Autumn and Winter,( watered every day hopefully !) worked for me. I got two big shade houses of cuttings to grow.

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