Preparing rose tree cuttings, when and how to do it

Rose cutting

Preparing cuttings from a rose tree is easy to do, cheap, and begets a well-deserved feeling of pride as the new rose tree grows.

Cuttings are a way to easily propagate the favorite rose trees from your garden or your friends’ gardens.

It is also a great gift to give to your closest friends and family members, because a successful cutting is the fruit of much patience and love for plants.

Without more ado, start your own rose tree cuttings!

Season to prepare rose tree cuttings

Secateurs are perfect for rose cuttingsThe best moment starts at the beginning of summer and extends until the end of November.

But other periods to prepare cuttings over most of the summer season are worth trying as well; although success rates are a bit lower, they still are quite good.

Advice on how to prepare rose tree cuttings

  • Select a nice stem from your rose tree, straight and vigorous, that has grown over the year. It must have at least 3 eyes and 1 growing bud. You may cut several at once, this will increase your chance of having a successful cutting.
  • Keep only the center part of the stem – about 6 inches (15 cm) – remove the head and cut just above a pair of leaves.
  • Delicately remove all the leaves except for the two topmost leaves.
  • Remove thorns from the portion that will be buried in the ground (about ⅓ of the stem).
  • Dip this portion in water for a few minutes, and then dip it in a rooting agent mix that can be found in any horticulture store. Although rooting agent powder isn’t required, it does increase your cuttings’ chances of taking.
  • Plant the cutting(s) in special cutting soil mix, or a mix of soil mix and sand.
  • If there are several, space each cutting around 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm) apart.

Stake each cutting to ensure it stands vertical.

Preparing cuttings from a rose treeWater regularly, but not too much, so that burgeoning roots don’t get flooded.

  • Keep your cuttings in a cool, dry and ventilated place.
  • Avoid direct sun, favor part sun with good light.

You’ll be able to plant them in the ground come the following spring.

More advice on rose trees:

Cutting preparation techniques

Reminder: Most rose tree varieties are patented. They are the fruit of the work that breeders provided, and are then edited for sale.
Preparing cuttings from them is only tolerated for private use.

Images: Nature & Garden; Pixabay: Jacqueline Macou, Kontakt