Hi jaybizzle: Welcome to the garden web. Your picture looks like it could be a perennial called Astilbe Here is how you grow plants from cuttings Taking cuttings is the same for most plants. First you must make sure everything you use is very clean. In a clean pail mix your soil with the water so you make sure the soil is damp right through. Use a soilless mix like pro mix or one that is formulated for seeds and cuttings. Just make sure it has no fertilizer in it. You want the soil wet but not too wet. Squeeze a handful and some moisture should come out but not a lot. Fill your pots and make a little hole in the center with your finger or something else that will make a small hole. Take your cuttings: With a sharp knife or razor blade cut a 5 or 6 inch piece from the growing tip, cutting just below a leaf. All roots and branches come from a leaf joint. Remove all but the top 5 or 6 leaves. Dip about 1/2 inch of the cut end in rooting hormone. It comes in powder or gel, either is OK as long as it's for soft wood cuttings. I use Stim-root NO. 1. After it's dipped put it in the hole and cover it in, and you're done. Keep the soil moist but not overly wet. They will look wilted at first but that will change as it starts to grow roots. You will know it's rooted when it starts to show new growth. Wait until it is rooted well before you set it out.

I am not a big fan of fertilizing newly planted roses, I usually just give them some nice compost. If you haven't yet, I would suggest you give them a nice thick mulch like a shredded bark one. Keeps soil moist and weeds down and also looks so much nicer than bare soil. Also, I usually make a little round 'moat' around the rose to trap rainwater or sprinkler water. A lot of rose growers actually pinch off the new buds so the rosebush can put its energy into growing but I never do that because 1) I am greedy and I want to enjoy the blooms :D & 2) If you let the bud bloom, you can at least make sure you didn't get a mislabelled rose. I grow Graham Thomas, Heritage & Abe Darby and I LOVE them. You're in for a treat when they bloom. Have fun!

Welcome to your new home! Your plant appears to be Echeveria imbricata. It is typical for Echeveria to drop bottom leaves and with time they will grow tall with just a canopy of leaves at the top. Most of us will whack the stem, leaving enough stalk to replant after a period of time to allow the freshly cut plant to callous. Most Echeveria will benefit from lots of sun and long days. Because of your location, your days and nights don't change as drastically as other locations on our planet but you probably get intense sun from time to time and should protect your plants during the mid-day sun. When a plant begins to get smaller leaves or the stem becomes narrow and elongated, it has become etiolated. Once this happens, it can take some time before the plant will begin "acquiring" a well grown appearance. The attached picture demonstrates all of the above. The plant on the left is Echeveria imbracata. As you see it desperately needs a whack job as do the other two Echeveria in the picture. Note how small the heads have become because of lower light and short days during our winter months. Also, the color on the Echeveria 'Etna' (center) has been lost as have all of its carbuncles on newer leaves and they are much smaller. You can see the dead lower leaves on the Echeveria to the right... this is all natural for this genus, IMHO. This post was edited by bikerdoc5968 on Mon, Feb 4, 13 at 13:25

Welcome : Sept. ends fertilizing Neem is more pesticide it does have fungus born disease control features to some effectivness under light conditions Backing soda dish soap mix what happens when you apply it is it elevates the PH on the leaves and midlews and fungus find an uncoftable home to grow on but it doesnt last very long at keeping a leaf PH changing Compliments to you on your rose choises and the home work you already did too carpet rose is about as easy growing as they get it will boast a very dencly packed foilage and is very winter hardy as well disease tollerant Yes it will grow new leaves its a real hardy rose I have two and I did just two days ago end of season leaf cleaned em it took 45 minutes on 2 different days ( they get bigger than that too ) I dont have any knock outs but I see enough of em to know there as disease tolerant as the carpet rose how to PREVENT mildew born and fungus born diseases has been done by many in differant manners Example I have no idea what Dr Brooners is as I use Serinade to combat these diseases as well K-neem and the backing soda dish soap idea ( yes this idea is more myth then fact I find it ineffective at best ) someone else might use dramatic K in place of serenade there both organic products I am told that dramatic K is not as harsh this disicion is up to you Theyll tell you not to water leaves. the day after it'll rain watering the roots of a carpet isnt that easy I use gloves and lift with one hand and water with the other any rose plant needs good ventilation Go figure huh I just got done saying dencely packed leaves too dont take this the wrong way as it is I only apply the following growing technics to my caprpet roses only ( I dont have any knock outs here ) and only MY CARPET roses grow this way I fertilize them from march till early sept and water em one maybe two times a week if needed during that time I bend stalks for the shape I want it to grow in. I dead head off about 4 realy nice small tree shaped flowering canes per month I will use serinade on them at the same time as my other roses I donot pluck trim or otherwise remove any leaves exept those that got dead headed untill the last fertilizing week Sept this task takes a long time to do 45 minutes a day on 2 different days and maybe one more time befor winter Yep a self tested carpet is in fact disease tolerant I am including a link for you for extra guidance on rose growing and disease information As you read it do enjoy the humorus side of Bob http://www.rose-roses.com/problems/fungi.html#rosewilt