i have one in gainesville, florida - zone ?? -- I planted it as a 12 inch high plant with 4 blooms 3 years ago - it's now over 5 feet high - 3 feet wide and HUNDREDS of blooms (today is april 18, 2010) -- I DON'T fertilize it - water it sporadically - (irrigation doesn't quite get it - but rain helps) it is planted on the EASTERN side of my house - so it only gets partial sun in the early AM - direct sun from about 10-12 - then no sun in the afternoons - the only boost it gets is we put oak leaves down once a year as 'mulch' i DON'T have any luck with most things EXCEPT crepe myrtles - amaryllis -- but this thing is great - i want to root it - went on the website to find out how and will try it this week - many thanks --

Make sure that the plant you are going to use for cuttings is in good condition, free from disease and pests and has been watered a few hours beforehand. Soft-tip cuttings are the best, it is not necessary to use hormone rooting powder. Soil less compost is ideal, a little vermiculite can be added if you wish. Using a sharp knife remove cutting from stem just underneath a leaf node (cutting approx. half to one inch long according to variety ). Hold by leaves not stem, bruising of the stem can result in failure. Place cutting into prepared compost, do not press compost to firm with fingers., give pot or tray a tap, this will settle compost. Water and place in propagator 60F 15C. If you do not have a propagator, cover tray with clear plastic lid or pot with clear plastic bag, place in a well lit situation , but not in direct sunlight. After approximately 3 weeks new growth will appear, get plants acclimatised from their humid growing conditions. Remove plastic lid or bag 2 or 3 times per day for a few minutes. When more growth is apparent it is time to plant into individual pots. Keep plants cool and damp but not soaking wet. Grow on in the normal way. Image by: fuchsiabonsailady cuttings, rooted cuttings, plant.

Hi Mary! As soon as you can work your soil in the spring is the best time to transplant a rose. If it's early enough and the rose is still dormant it will wake up in its new spot and never know it was moved. Find a spot with well draining soil and at least 6 hours of full sun, 8 would be even better, and dig your hole and prepare it. Then dig up the rose trying to get as much of the root ball as possible and move it to its new spot. Plant it and tamp it gently but firmly and water it in. Keep it moist but never soggy wet until you see it start to put out some new growth then go to a regular watering schedule and feed it a good well balanced fertilizer. The only way to propagate a rose and have it be true to the variety you want is to do some form of rooted cuttings. There are probably literally thousands of methods out there that all work to varying degrees. Roseseek on here has a method he calls the burrito method that many people have had good luck with. Just do a search on here and I'm sure it will come up. I do more softwood rooting in the spring myself. Usually in June right after the first spring flush as I'm dead heading I'll take some longer cuttings to root. I like a cutting about 12 inches long but I've used some as short as 4 or 5 inches from a mini rose before too. I scrap the green outer skin off the bottom of the cane exposing the white inner pith and dip it into a rooting hormone and place it in a clear plastic drinking cup with a hole in the bottom for drainage and SEED STARTING soil, not potting soil, and place it right out in the sun. You have to watch carefully and keep the soil moist at all times. If it dries out they'll shrivel up and die. I like the clear cups because I can see the roots when they form through the sides so there is no guessing. It takes some practice and don't be discouraged if you don't have great success right away. It took me a couple of years before I had any kind of success at it, lol! And don't be afraid to experiment to find what works best for you. Like I said, there are tons of methods!

It is definitely a very young Opuntia pad. Some Opuntia are known as Prickly Pear, with edible fruits. Young Opuntia pads have the round leaves which are in most cases later replaced by spines as the pads mature. Although some Opuntia retain the rounded leaves on mature pads. I don't know if such an immature pad will root, but it is worth a try. Place the pad on dry potting medium and wait for roots to form. Do not water until roots form. Christopher