https://www.apieceofrainbow.com/grow-roses-from-cuttings/

The above link has 3 You-Tube on how to root roses. 1st method is possible in cold zone. 2nd and 3rd method are best for warm climate with thicker canes on the Mother bush. Roots need air to grow just as much as water, so any fluffy and damp medium works.

1) The lady wrapped rose-stem with a wad of pre-moistened coco-coir to make a ball, then wrap with toilet paper. she place a bunch of these "root-balls" it in a basket (pre-lined with coco-coir), Then piled more co-coir to keep it moist. Roses root within a month.

2) 2nd-method of air-layering (rooting on the bush itself) is to cut a v-notch, then slice the outer cane half-opened, and stick 2 pieces of straw. Then wrap in clear plastic, using twister tie to enclose both ends.

3) 3rd-method is to cut a plastic water bottle into half, then cut vertically to make plastic-ring around the cane. The lady cut a segment of banana peel and wrap around the wounded stem, then put on the plastic enclosure, and tie both ends. Banana peel has potassium to encourage rooting.

https://www.apieceofrainbow.com/grow-roses-from-cuttings/

It makes sense for the lady to line the basket with fluffy co-coir first , before placing the a bunch of "paper-covered coir-balls". See below tip on rooting roses:

"rosyone

I've never done this with coir, but with potting soil it helps to place 3/4 inch or so of coarse perlite at the bottom of the container. Layer your "real" rooting medium over that, then stick your cuttings just deep enough that you feel a slight crunch as the end reaches perlite interface. Then back the stem up a few millimeters and pat the rooting medium around it so that it's adequately anchored. This ensures that the ends of the stems get plenty of oxygen and aren't standing in beads of water clinging to the plastic bottom of the container."

The above link is for rooting SOFTWOOD cuttings, which won't dry out fast like HARDWOOD rootings. For HARDWOOD rootings (dry canes going into winter), below method inside a glass cookie jar is better, so the stems won't dry out:

A friend shared below method for rooting roses, using ORGANIC potting soil. She rooted the most difficult varieties which I failed:

Here's the video link to watch and the materials to buy to root roses. For potting soil, the Kellogg's Organic potting soil is similar in ingredients to the Nature's Care potting soil at neutral pH, without the harsh chemical granules that kill roots.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ln0BaYaTXY

Materials needed: 2 gallon clear Cookie Jar sold at Target or Walmart

Fabric Nursery bag 5.5 x 6.3 inches sold on Amazon

Rooting hormone powder only $5 from Amazon

Kellogg's Organic potting soil mixed with perlite or

Nature's Care ORGANIC potting soil has Root-Trients™ - Alfalfa Meal, Bone Meal, Earthworm Castings, and Kelp Meal for strong roots. Plus yucca and coir, for moisture control.

*** MY NOTE: the tall glass cookie jar is expensive, but Sterilite plastic ClearView Latch Box at Target for $8 keep moisture just as well and hold more rootings. I will go to Menards tomorrow to check out their 40 quart clear plastic box, sold for $8.89 to keep moisture for cuttings to root .. also come in smaller size bins:

NO!break 40 Quart Locking Lid Clear Storage Tote

Re-post a good rooting technique: sand with perlite for high-rain climate or sand with vermiculite for dry & no rain climate. I tried sand with peatmoss and IT DID NOT WORK: peatmoss broke down and glued up with sand into concrete.

BRMeadowsOriginal Author

My best success method has been early spring, a version of the mason jar. I make up my own sand perlite mix and use 32 oz or larger container that I keep closed for 7-10 days.After that i open up the container lid/top. This seems to work best for me, but not much works in mid summer upper 90-100 with high humidity About the only method that works in mid summer is a misting setup on a timer.

Thank you so much for compiling all these tips, @strawchicago z5 ! I've tried a dozen times to root cuttings, but I've always failed, everything just turns black, every time, even with fungicide applied. I'll give it another try this year using the methods in this thread. Thanks for sharing!

I am going to add the TX Rose Rustlers directions https://tlcfocus.com/paulbarden/hulse.html. I can use them for softwood with plastic bags indoors with Bottom heat. I have to be super careful that my mix has no visible water when I sgueeze it. For hardwood, outdoors in sand in the ground works wonderfully from cuttings Oct-Dec. I just let the non-stop rain water them.

seasiderooftop Kim (roseseek) said he had to use the burrito method when he moved close to the ocean. He wrapped them in barely damp newspaper for 2 weeks (I think), they would callous then he planted them. He talks about it on his blog...can't find the link at the moment.

Ann: thank you for that link on rooting roses. I agree that hardwood cuttings (taken early April in my zone 5a) root best in coarse sand. It's too cold in March at 20 F so I wait until April to take hardwood cuttings.

Re-post the potting-soil recipe that Jay-jay in Holland uses to grow roses from seeds. He posted in HMF when I asked him... lost that info., so glad that I found it:

Jay-Jay wrote the below:

"I made/make my own mix of part Coconut(-bark)-substrate; part peat-based (normal) potting soil; part coconut(-bark) based potting-soil; a little bit of Mycorrhiza-drenched grains of some kind; some perlite and some vermiculite, and a very little bit of fine ground lava-powder... and when the rose is potted: Some fine grained natural composition of fertilizer on top of the soil covered with some coconut-soil when watered.
Very well drained, but a heck of a job watering the plants, when the weather is dry, sunny and windy."

@strawchicago z5, I was just re-reading your opening post here, and realized that earlier I had missed your mention of distilled vs tap for watering cuttings soil.

Our tap here is from reverse osmosis and neutral pH. For seedlings and cuttings I filter it in a Brita, then let it sit for a few days to evaporate any chlorine or other residue.

I have success with seedlings using that , but never with cuttings. Currently I have some cuttings of Teasing Georgia and Desdemona sitting in a sand/vermiculite/potting soil mix about 40/40/20%, covered in a plastic bottle.

Should I add a drop of a "pH down" product to make the water a little more acidic? Does slightly acidic water really make a difference?

Teasing Georgia has pale leaves and wimpy cluster root and did not bloom unless with tons of acidic rain, so I don't think it's worth growing as own-root.

Desdemona is worth rooting since it does well as own-root for Noseometer in sandy soil and dry climate.

If your sand is washed, then the pH is less alkaline. Here the unwashed sand (paver's yellow sand is alkaline at pH 7.5), and cuttings fail to root. But the WASHED sand is less alkaline and several people I know root roses in WASHED sand with constant misting.

I have better luck rooting with 1/2 WASHED sand and 1/2 vermiculite as recommended by University of CA at Davis.

I successfully rooted water-hog Austins like Evelyn in 1/2 potting soil (peat moss) and 1/2 perlite. The worst combo was 1/2 potting soil (peat moss) and 1/2 sand .. the fine-particle of peat moss glue up with sand into concrete (very dense).

Straw, I have tried the air layering on the bush with using a bottle. It might work in some places, and would probably work here if I could get three to four weeks of consistent non high windy days. The bottles seem to catch in my wind and have broken canes down to the graft. :( After about six tries I gave up on that method..... Though I was very very close to getting roots. I had little nubs that had started to raise up on the cane..... unfortunately, they did not continue to root once the branch broke off,

I am getting pretty good at starting cuttings in a large plastic container that has bottles of sand that I then put in another pot in the big plastic bin. Someone had suggested pot in pot so that is what I am doing. I also put a base of water in the large clear plastic container to keep it very humid in the container. I put this on the North side of my house where it is shaded but very bright (I am in zone 10 Florida).

But I am STILL terrible when I try to pot them into regular potting mix after they have rooted.

I have tried when the roses are barely rooted and when they lave lots of roots.....

Darn If I can just make the leap of now rooting to potting them up I should be good......

Sharon:

1) Agree with you on watering from below: multiple cups (with holes at bottom) stored inside a large bin with 1 inch. of water water at bottom.

2) A friend rooted roses in sand, then transfer to 1/4 perlite and 2/3 MG-moisture-control potting soil after 1 month. MG-moisture control is faster draining than peatmoss-based potting soil like Sam's club brand.

Paul Barden shared Mel Hulse baggie rooting method (originally by Cheryl Netter) in below link: http://tlcfocus.com/paulbarden/hulse.html

I find that rose type matters, too. My rugosas like to be air layered.

Aaron Rosarian Zone 5b That makes sense. Rugosas hates soaking wet clay here.

I had 0 luck with peat moss the 1 to I had 0 luck with Pete moss the 1 time I tried it. I've been extremely successful since then With other mediums. This year I am trying to things, a mix of Potting soil and perlite, And pine bark fines. So For I've gotten good roots in those with the potting mix and perlite in 3 weeks. The others not yet but they were done very recently.

I've tried something new this year that's had good success so far. I put the cutting in water for about a month and wait until it gets the callus at the cut and then put it in soil. This way I can be sure that root development has at least begun before I waste time and space in a pot. I haven't gotten anything that's 100% made it yet, but the pct that turns black is lower.

kidhorn2 do all of them make it through the water phase...... or only the ones that make it through the water then root.

So far they've all made it through the water phase. I've now lost a couple to rot and they both produced roots. So far, still better than just sticking in soil.

kidhorn2: I cut roses for the vase and they are in alkaline tap water at pH 9 for several days before rooting ... I have better luck if they are dunk in tap water as cut-blooms before rooting.

I root to experiment (for fun) and tried many methods just for fun. The worst result is with 1/2 perlite and 1/2 vermiculite (as recommended by U. of CA at Davis), zero calcium to neutralize the acidic rain here. The stems rot when covered with a glass dome, or later on when the dome is taken off.

Second best result is with 1/2 sand and 1/2 vermiculite (also recommended by U. of CA at Davis), roots are slow to form, and it's super thin (like a strand of hair), also under a glass dome like Mason jar. I rooted W.S. 2000 back in 2020 with this method, and the roots are too small & thin.

A friend in Texas who rooted in 100% sand and constant misting gave me roots with super-thin strands like hair, but they grew into big plants.

Best result is with 1/3 perlite and 2/3 ORGANIC peat-moss potting soil (with dolomitic lime & organic fertilizer like chicken manure, worm casting and yucca), roots are THICK & solid and whitish.

The key is NO CHUNKS of pine park in the potting soil, which is too acidic and kills roots. Also NO CHUNKS of wet mush in the potting soil, it should be fluffy & damp rather than soaking wet.

I rooted W.S. 2000 this year and the rooting has a bud after 2-months of rooting.

See below the THICK and whitish root coming out at the bottom of the fabric Grow-bag of W.S. 2000, which means it's ready to be transferred to potting soil & morning sun:

After I see roots coming out AT BOTTOM of Grow-bag, I transfer to potting soil. The top growth means nothing, it's the size of the roots that count. Strong roots form buds within 2 to 3 months of rooting. Pic. taken this mid-July:

Below is Evelyn rooting with a fat bud after 2 months, fertilized with SOLUBLE at 1/4 dose, which is faster-acting that Osmocote Plus.

Sharon: I had the same problems of leaves withering when transferring from high humidity to dry air and more sun. Then I tried the "gradual approach" of opening the plastic bin more each day, then in open air in total shade, then open air in a bit of sun. That works well for tiny rootings.

Rooting in 100% sand like a friend in Texas works since she has a misting system, but rooting in a humid plastic bin needs a more fertile soil, like 1/2 sand and 1/2 potting soil (Pro-mix is best since it has dolomitic lime to neutralize the acidity of peatmoss).

I find that rooting in 1/2 sand and 1/2 potting soil has more nutrients for solid roots than rooting in 1/2 sand and 1/2 vermiculite. A nursery told me they root their roses in 1/2 sand and 1/2 potting soil like the below link advised:

rooting roses in 1/2 sand and 1/2 potting soil

1. Take 6-inch cuttings from the desired rose
2. Keep moist until ready to pot
3. Mix potting soil with horticultural sand to a ratio of 50/50
4. Half fill clean sterilized pots and containers with a 50/50 mix of sand and potting soil
5. Wound end of cuttings (optional)
6. Dip cut end into rooting hormone
7. Place cuttings into pots, you can place several in one pot
8. Cover cuttings in pot with clear cup, mayonnaise jar or baggie to create a mini-greenhouse effect
9. Place in a warm shady location and water as needed.
10. DO NOT OVERWATER! Keep slightly moist not waterlogged.
11. Wait until there is clear evidence of roots. In terra cotta pots the roots will begin to come through the drainage holes, in clear cups or milk jugs you should see roots on the bottom or along the sides.

Gertrude Jekyll absolutely HATES excess water, same with its parent, Comte de Chambord. I got several cuttings of Gertrude Jekyll this year and rooted in a Grow-bag (inside plastic bin) for 2 months. One rooting sprouted new leaves, and I was dumb to put some water below since the weather is so hot at 97 F, it instantly dropped its leaves and stem turned black.

Another Getrude rooting stays green for 2 months, but one leaf got blackspot. That's the only rooting that has blackspot among the 20+ varieties that I'm rooting.

The only time I succeeded in rooting its parent Comte was INDOOR through the winter with very dry air, plus soil high in calcium for its many prickles. Below are successful rootings after 2 months, that's when ALL original leaves stay green and none turn yellow. The minute any leaves on a rooting turn yellow, it's a goner.

Differences between soft-wood and hard-wood rooting: Soft-wood cuttings needs to be soaked for 1 day with alkaline tap water, rooting hormone is NOT necessary if the end is wounded. Soft-wood's leaves wilt easily with acidic rain or too much acidic rooting hormone.

Soft-wood needs a FAST-DRAINING & DRIER and more AIR medium. Soft-wood also needs alkaline pH (more lime added). Soft-wood rots easily if the medium is acidic.

Soft-wood also rots if covered too long with a plastic bag, best rooted in open air, or frequent airing of plastic bin.

Soft-wood also needs more sun to grow leaves. Below are my soft-wood rootings receiving only 10 to 20% of rain since heavy rain rots the rootings easily.

HARD-WOOD rooting: needs longer-soak in acidic rain-water, plus rooting hormone to develop roots. Can take a denser and wetter medium: sand, potting soil or vermiculite. Hard-wood needs more shade, best with high humidity such as a plastic cover. Rooting hormone helps roots to break through the hard wood.

Softwood is like a peeled cucumber: you don't cover up a cucumber with plastic, it rots into mush. So I always wrap a peeled cucumber with dry paper towel. Hardwood is like a carrot, needs a plastic wrap to cover carrots, otherwise they dry out.

Fat bud on a rooting done in less than 2 months. The secret is red-lava rock watering for potassium. Learn that tip from HMF Jay-Jay in the Netherlands ... he grows roses from seeds, using red-lava-sand.

Below are my rootings done a few years ago under a spruce tree to block out heavy rain:

Below are my rootings this year after 2 months in a plastic bin and grow-bags for more air for root-growth. Below 2 are W.S. 2000 rootings with buds:

Below are Evelyn rootings, pic. taken 8/6/22:

Zippered Plastic pouch works just as well as plastic bin to retain moisture for harder wood cuttings.

@strawchicago z5

I read your comment on another thread about rooting Radio Times vs Sharifa Asma and thorniness.

So, is it true that the thornier roses are easier to root? Did I understand that right?

Also wondering: do you remove the thorns from the lower half of your cuttings before planting them?

I've been doing that, thinking the removal of thorns in the lower half may help roots emerge from there, but then again maybe that's completely wrong and that's why my cuttings always fail.

seasiderooftop I have been thinking about why low-thorn roses fail to root (Crown P. Mag, James Galway, Annie L. McDowell), then I realize that low thorn roses do better in fluffy & sandy soil than in my dense clay.

Low thorn Heritage does well for 2 sandy soil folks, same with low thorn Jude the Obscure. Such roses' tissue rot easily in wet soil, such as dense clay. Such roses need fast drainage soil and more air for root-growth. Such roses DO NOT like to be under a high-moisture dome (not enough oxygen).

Low-thorn like James Galway rot when I tried rooting in 1/2 vermiculite and 1/2 perlite, in a covered plastic bin. Vermiculite is too wet.

A friend rooted low-thorn Jude easily in sandy soil, full sun, open air with misting and gave me 4 rootings.

Removal of thorns never hurt my rooting, but the method of splitting the cane in the middle to root FAILED. For me a VERY light stripping of the outer layer at bottom of cutting is enough. When too much of inner tissue is exposed, more chance of rot. The outer hard layer is to protect the inner layer from the acidity of the soil. The outer HARD layer of a cane doesn't rot as much as the inner softer tissue.

After the roots grow out of the bottom of a band or fabric Grow-bag, I transfer to air-pot for best root growth. Below are 2 rootings in a 7-gallon air-pot, I only fill the soil up to 1/2 of the air-pot, so the roots can be shaded.

@strawchicago z5

Thank you so much for that explanation! I'm still not sure what I'm doing wrong, trying to follow all the advice I read and the various tutorials, but for some reason I just don't have the magic touch for cuttings. I keep trying though!

Currently in the middle of a new attempt, this time using thicker, semi-hardwood cuttings of Mamy Blue and Chios, four pencil thick cuttings of each. Mamy Blue is in peat based bagged seedling soil + sand, Chios is in the same +bark fines . Both are covered, because I don't have a misting system and so I can't hand mist as regularly as required. I hope this time might be the charm. I'll give more air to low-thorn Mamy Blue after reading your comments, thank you!!

seasiderooftop How's your rooting? Peat moss seedling soil and sand is too dense for low-thorn roses to root. Fluffy bark-fines and perlite medium gives more air to low-thorn roses.

These are the out-of-patent roses I succeeded in rooting, ranking from easiest to root to hardest: Dee-lish (super easy), Golden Celebration, Carding Mill, Spirit of Freedom, Radio Times, Augusta Luis, Abraham Darby, Christopher Marlowe, The Dark Lady, Evelyn, The Squire, James Galway, W.S. 2000, Gertrude Jekyll, Mary Magdalene, Firefighter, Sonia Rykiel, Comte de Chambord is the hardest. All the money I make from rooting I donate to charities.

The easiest way to root water-hog Austins like Evelyn is to mix 1/3 perlite with 2/3 ORGANIC potting soil (then wet with rain-water or bottled distilled water), Stuff that into a plastic cup (with many holes at bottom), then put that plastic cup into another larger container with 1 inch of water inside (to water from below).

Then put a glass mason jar or a tall glass vase on top (50 cents from Goodwill store).

This should be kept OUT OF heavy rain and sun, like under a porch for 1 month. Distilled water or rain-water is best for rooting. After 1 month, you can see the roots coming out of the bottom of your clear plastic cup, and Evelyn is ready to be planted in 1/4 perlite and 3/4 peat moss potting soil (like Pro-mix moisture)

Fertilize with SOLUBLE fertilizer at 1/4 the dose. Below is my Evelyn, pic. taken early June 2022, note the reddish big thorns. Only Evelyn has such thorns. It's a 12-year own-root, stems get thicker with age. I never see blackspots on own-root Evelyn for the past 12 years, but I see blackspots on my own-root Abraham Darby.

Hi @strawchicago z5,

Well... Unfortunately the Chios cuttings failed rather quickly.

The Mamy Blue one is stagnant. So far, nothing seems to be happening, but the leaves haven't fallen off so maybe that's a good sign?

Right around the time Chios failed I had a cane break off of Rosomane Janon (also very thorny). So I immediately cut it up into four pieces and put them into the pot where Chios' stems had been. I didn't add any additional water, since the mix was still moist.

They are semi-hardwood but bordering on hardwood. I didn't use rooting hormone for these, just a slight scratch off one side of the stem.

To my surprise none of them are blackening and they still have their original leaves after three weeks. Even better, two of them are starting to grow little shoots.

I removed the clear plastic bag that covers them to take this pic just now.

I don't want to get too excited, but should I be doing something different now that new growth is appearing? Uncover them? More sun? Or just leave them as they are a little longer?

Edit: after reading the discussion in another thread, I think I should clarify that in the EU, propagation of patented roses is tolerated as long as it is for personal use and not for commercial purposes.

seasiderooftop Your pic. of semi-hardwood rooting looks fantastic with very healthy leaves and thick stems.

For super-thorny roses full of prickles (Mary Magdalene, the Squire, Comte de Chambord) they rot easily if the stems are covered. Since I'm lazy in watering rooting, I cover THE TOP of soil with leaves to prevent evaporation. But I leave the shoot on top UNCOVERED.

Another tip is to UNCOVER them in humid weather (all-day rain, or night time), but put plastic cover back on in hot & dry day time.

Thank you @strawchicago z5 ! I will try uncovering only at night for a few days and see how that goes.

I haven't watered at all in the three weeks while they were covered. Checked the soil moisture today with a meter and it still reads as moist, so I am not giving any additional water for the time being. I will update in a week... Perhaps my first ever rooting success? If so it will be thanks to you and all the advice you have given in this thread!

Thanks straw. a lot of good information.

So II'm still having issues typing here but just wanted to update. 3/4 have blackened after I began uncovering at night. I have reverted to covering all the time in the hope the last one makes it. The Mamy Blue cutting which was stagnating is still stagnating but still has leaves so there's hope! That one will remain covered as well. I really hope at leastleast one might make it!

seasiderooftop The key to rooting is NEVER, NEVER water from above if you cover it with anything. You want the top to be dry so it won't rot the cane.

ALWAYS WATER FROM below if you cover the rose with anything. Also air out once a day so it doesn't get too wet inside. You want the roots to go down to reach the water below. Also the stem below the soil needs very little water, like one-tenth of the stem & leaves above the soil. EVAPORATION IS FROM THE LEAVES AND UPPER STEM, but the stem below the soil doesn't lose much water, no need to water the top of the soil.

For that reason NEVER water from above the soil, but water below the pot.

Noseometer showed how he rooted in 100% perlite and watering from below by putting one container (with cutting) inside a bigger container so the water level rises to 1 inch. AT BOTTOM.

Very excited to report that for the first time ever I have success!! 

One of the cuttings from Mamy Blue that I had left at my boyfriend's garden has struck! The leaves on the left are the original ones, still on, but the stem and leaves growing to the right is all new!

It was in straight Plagron cutting and seedling mix, in a bright shade location. Covered completely without any additional water for the first month, then a small breathing hole in the plastic film and watered only with whatever rain made it in there, (we have been getting weekly rains since mid-October). Since last week it has been completely uncovered.

So happy and curious to see how this rose will grow as an own root versus the grafted one I have on the roof!

seasiderooftop I'm super excited for your success. You are right about NO WATERING for the 1st month, until soil is dry out if COVERED UP completely.

Here's an excerpt on Cheryl Netter's baggie-method for her zone 5a, Colorado.
http://www.cnetter.net/rose_tour/rose_cut.html
" To score the cutting, you can use a knife, pin (or even a sharp fingernail) and scratch just through the surface to the pith underneath.
The cutting needs the leaves to produce roots, but those under the soil will just rot.
Fill a gallon zip lock baggie 1/4 to 1/3 full with moist (not wet) STERILE loose potting mix. I use 1/2 Peter's potting soil and 1/2 perlite or vermiculite.
If you use a powder such as Rootone, dip the end of cutting into rooting compound and then knock the excess off until just a thin coating is on the cutting. Poke a hole into the soil in the baggie where the cutting will go. Carefully insert the cutting a couple of inches into the hole.
Once all the cuttings are inserted, gently squeeze the soil in the baggie by placing your hands on each side and pushing in until the holes are closed up and the soil is making good contact with the cuttings. Use 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water. Gently pour a tiny amount of this water right at the point where the cutting sticks into the soil. This helps the soil stick to the cutting and removes air pockets
Inflate the baggie by blowing into it and zip it shut.
Put in bright, indirect light - if it gets direct sun it will cook. If any leaves drop from the stem, you can remove them and reinflate the baggie.
Once you are convinced that the cutting has enough roots, unzip the baggie about an inch. Unzip a little more every day for about a week. Some will show roots by the end of ten days, others will take more than 6 weeks. If the cutting is still green there is hope. Don't use diseased cuttings. If the soil is too dry, the cuttings will shrivel, if it is too moist they will rot and turn black." Cheryl Netter.
http://www.cnetter.net/rose_tour/rose_cut.html

Khalid Waleed (zone 9b Isb) 6 years ago

Straw: Here is what I do in zone 9b Islamabad.
Actually I don't do anything spectacular. Just making sure that I select healthy hardwood cuttings that are cut cleanly at 45* with a very sharp knife. I lightly peel off a bit of skin 2 to 3 inches from the base and then insert the cutting min 4" in the soil. I do not use any rooting hormones. I do not trim the branches / shoots too much.

Watering has to be controlled. In winters, watering more could rot the cuttings whereas there are less chances of dehydration. Watering less is better. I plant my cuttings in a bed next to a wall in my lawn.... in open.
But this is what I do in a very different climate where the temp in winters does not go down below -2*C, that too for few days only and it does not snow.

Thick hardwood cuttings have enough moisture of their own to sprout. When leaves sprout, you may increase watering but not too much.

strawchicago z5 6 years ago Thank you, Khalid, for those tips on rooting hardwood ... You are right about the thicker the cutting, the more vigorous the rooting !!
I also do what you advised "I lightly peel off a bit of skin 2 to 3 inches from the base and then insert the cutting min 4" in the soil."
Regarding Cheryl Netter's using Peter's Potting soil for her baggie-method:
Since Peat moss is acidic at pH 4, some brands add dolomitic lime to supply calcium and magnesium.
Peter's potting soil has bark ash (alkaline), which supplies calcium, potassium, magnesium, and all trace elements. Also granite sand has phosphorus & potassium (good for roots).
Metro Mix also has bark ash, and is used in greenhouse veggies seedlings.
Peter's Professional Potting has: Canadian sphagnum peat moss, vermiculite, granite sand, bark ash, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium and other minerals, wetting agent pH at 5.8-6.8
The below link detailed the ingredients in popular brands of potting soil.

Soil guide - all about potting soil

This thread is great! Just wanted to share I've had amazing results with a simple mist system, very inexpensive version. You can find them through the evil amazon obviously, also via Walmart, Aliexpress and others. Shouldn't cost more than $20-30 and has made dramatic improvements in my propagation game. Quick engineer tip - make sure you set it up in a 'loop' to minimize issues with low pressure at end of lines and extremely high pressure at the start.

The photo with soil/roots and tiny cuttings is not a rose, but I follow the exact same process with roses too. These are Aralia cuttings I hope to start a 'guerilla garden' with in the spring.

They are on the shelf on the north side of my neighbors garage in my suburban yard. Good protection from wind and sun, indirect sun only.

- The mist runs every hour for 10 seconds in the hieght of Chicago zone 5b/6a humid and HOT summer.

- Soil is a mix of 50 peat 50 perlite.

- There are probably 5-10 cuttings in here in a reused community pot, and once they look like this I will pot up into their own small containers.

- I do typically use rooting hormone, just dip n grow, but I will absolutely be trying to eliminate it next year. I don't think it's needed with the mist.

smilingspring Thank you for sharing your set up system. Bluegirl in Texas shared pics. of her misting system with loops back in 2014 in Organic rose forum. She rooted in full sun & misting system and sand and exchanged rootings with me. But she could not root Comte de Chambord, even with a misting system. She has over a decade experience in rooting roses and shared her rootings generously with many in rose forum.

Another person whom I shared cuttings of my Comte de Chambord could not root that either, even with a misting system. I only succeed in rooting Comte ONCE for the past decade of countless failures.

I don't use a misting system since my tap water is too alkaline at pH 9.

Using A Banana To Root Plants (wisergarden.com)

I'm testing the above method for rooting indoor in my zone 5. Will report later.

I have a flat-sun-lamp which I put over the rooting box, it's similar to grow-light. I see ZERO difference in the rate of mold-growth & stem rot in the box with the sun-lamp, versus the box without the sun-lamp.

My rooting box downstairs in front of the large bay window & plenty of sun: mold & rot occurs more than the boxes upstairs (with warmer night temp.). Plenty of sun only helps with the top growth (longer stems), but it's the higher temp at night that prevents mold growing overnight in the dark.

The rate of mold-growth is faster with colder temp. High-water items like cucumber is best stored at room temperature at 70 F, since it grows mold faster in the cool refrigerator at 40 F. I don't store high-water items like strawberries nor tomato in cold & dark refrigerator: they turn into mush.

Rot & mold is from cold temp. in winter-rooting, plus covering each rooting with a small plastic bottle. Preventing FULL ventilation & airing at cold temp. results in mold & rot of the stem.

Rooting website advises to TAKE OFF the cover of the rooting box at night for that reason. Nighttime is when the temp. drops, thus more rot & mold.

Another setback of rooting indoor is NOT having a misting system on a timer. Plants like open air & ventilation (to prevent mold), plus regular misting so the stems & leaves don't dry out. A misting system prevents spider mites to infest the plants.

Keeping rose plants indoor when the temp. rises in the spring is to invite spider mites. I can't bring my rootings outside with unpredictable frosts at night my zone 5. We don't plant annuals & tomatoes until June 1, that's when we are safe from frost.

Below is the cookie-jar method to root roses OUTDOOR in warm summer, in the shade with no direct sunlight. I use $8 big & clear plastic box which can hold at least 12 fabric Grow bags per box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ln0BaYaTXY

From above video: it's 2 parts perlite to 3 parts potting soil. My best success is ORGANIC potting soil with zero pelletized chemicals that burn roots. I use slightly acidic rain water at pH 6 rather than my alkaline tap water (at pH 9).

Squeeze our excess water from soil when placed in fabric grow bag. Use cuttings with upper leaves, plus 3 nodes (scrape off the end of cutting), dip into rooting hormone, then stick the lowest node into Growbag. DO NOT stick the cutting deep into Grow-bag, stick it only 1/2 deep, so there's plenty of soil below for roots to grow longer.

Cover with lid, and place under a tree or shady north side with NO DIRECT sunshine. Open once a day for 1 min. for ventilation if rainy weather.

In dry & hot weather with less moisture condensation inside: pour at BOTTOM of box a bit of water (1/8 to 1/4 cup) to prevent bottom of fabric bags from drying out.

NO misting the plants inside the box. If there's NOT enough condensation inside the box, I water FROM BELOW, rather than from above (which wets and rots the stem).

Below is a box of over 1 feet tall Evelyns which I rooted in summer 2022 and sent to Hummingbird Roses nursery.