I’m sorry no one has responded yet.

I have never started a rose from a cutting. I’ve never had Queen Elizabeth. Never been to Australia, though I’d like to go.

I will presume you don’t live in Charlotte Pass.

I say: put it in the ground now, and prune it severely ( very close to the ground) in your late winter. Then use the Chris from Newflora method of piling up mulch over what remains to get some new canes going.

There - that should get some other people to respond.

no, I’m in Sydney.... no snow here! The mulch idea sounds interesting

Congratulations on getting a cutting to root! Well, after a number of years of growing roses from cuttings, I can tell you this. First year cuttings are often spindly, but they usually grow new and thicker basals as they mature. Queen Elizabeth tends to be a tall narrow bush anyway, though. Do roses in the winter go into dormancy at all where you are? If not, or the winters are very short as I imagine Sydney to have, I would plant now, with alfalfa dug into the ground during your soil prep, and prune down to about 18” or even lower. If you had 45 inches of growth from a new cutting after 8 months, you will have a big plant very quickly. If there are rose growers in your area, check in with them. They may have other ideas.

lensrufus: here is a link to her advice, which begins with the oldest comment, after the opening post, from 4 years ago

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/4398632/kordes-plum-perfect-growth-habit#n=56

And here another link to her advice that is applicable to your situation. Though not identical. It begins about 20 comments into the discussion. Arguably the most famous Rose Forum discussion of all time. My all-time favorite.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/4391431/any-updates-on-madame-anisette#n=387

Thanks, I'll plant now and give it a bit of a trim, then in spring I'll prune harder & use the mulch cover - that sounds like a plan. Roses don't really go dormant here in the inner west of Sydney but I prune them hard in late winter.

My sister in New Zealand (where they don't have much for winter or dormancy either) says that she uses a stiff dish brush or a lightweight wire brush very gently on the lower stems to stimulate the growth buds to sprout and fill in a tall spindly plant. I have never tried it though, because I have too much winter for that.

Yes I've heard that and I've done it on another rose, not sure if it had any effect though. Might try again