The cutting is the method of propagating roses the simplest possible. It can therefore be carried out by amateur gardeners who do not necessarily have extensive experience in this area. However, not all groups of roses are suitable for this. We are therefore going to take stock of the best period for cutting a rosebush, either in a greenhouse or outdoors.
What is cuttings?
It is a technique of asexual multiplication also called vegetative propagation since it is obtained without using the seeds produced by the plant. The chances of success are very good, and the principle of cuttings poses no particular difficulty.
When to cut a rosebush?
The best time of year to take cuttings from a rosebush is the very beginning of autumn, or even from mid-August. However, it is possible to postpone this task until later, provided that a greenhouse is available because the cuttings must be sheltered from the cold, which includes icy winds and frost, hence the interest of having from a luminous shelter. Failing this, it is necessary to be able to cover the cuttings.
Method of cutting a rose bush
here’s how Choose the small stems of cuttings then the to prepare and finally what method to use for plant the cuttings depending on whether one adopts cuttings under shelter or outdoors.
Select beautiful rose twigs
Start by choosing two or three twigs which will be used to give birth to new roses. They must be in perfect health and present a beautiful robustness. Ideally, each branch should be 30 to 35 cm in length.
Preparation of cuttings
- With a previously disinfected pruning shears, carry out a oblique cut (bevelled), clean, above a bud to take the twig from the mother plant, ensuring that the lowest part of the cut wound is opposite the bud. In this way the rainwater will flow perfectly and the bud will not risk rotting.
- Shorten the twig by making the same type of cut but this time below the lowest bud.
- To delete :
- all the leaves located along the branch under the cutting, this is called thedressing,
- the axillary buds,
- the spikes.
- Must keep:
- the leaves spread over the cutting,
- the pair of buds most at the top and which can be seen in the axils of the leaves to be kept.
- Wrap the stalks in moistened newspaper and leave them in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator for 72 hours,
- Take the stems out of the newspaper,
- Dip each cutting in a hormone powder.
Method of planting rose cuttings
Then comes the moment of plant each rose cutting :
- That is under shelter (in tight for example),
- That is outside.
In greenhouse
- Choose a pot with a pierced bottom for each young stem, the diameter of which must be around 9 to 11 cm,
- File a drainage layer at the bottom like balls of clay or else expanded clay,
- Pour into the jar a mixture composed of fertile soil, sand and peat which therefore constitutes the breeding ground,
- Plant the cutting in this substrate, in the center of the pot, without however pushing it too deeply,
- Tamp down without hurting,
- Water moderately,
- Cover the small jars with a clear plastic wrap so as to form a sort of small bell essential to maintain constant humidity.
- Install each pot in a bright area shelter but taking care that it is not exposed to direct sunlight which could burn the young cuttings.
It takes 6 to 8 weeks to allow the two buds to blossom. If so, it means that the cuttings are successful. It is therefore time to repot the new rose bush in moist but not waterlogged peat, and in a slightly larger pot.
It is still necessary to keep the pots of rose bushes cut in the greenhouse, always sheltered from the direct sun until the period is favorable for their planting in the ground.
Outside
The outdoor rose cuttings is possible in regions with a mild climate. In this case, you have to choose a sunny placeand the sol must be well drained because the roots of the plants must not be immersed in water. To propagate a rosebush outdoors, proceed as follows.
- Perform a close protrusion in the groundto a depth of 20 to 25 cm, no more,
- Pour a little sable at the bottom so that it forms a small layer of 3 or 4 cm,
- Enter the twig previously impregnated with growth hormone in the projection and make sure that its base is in contact with the sand,
- Drop the potting soil in the planting hole,
- Pack lightly around the cutting,
- Water moderately,
- Ask some protections so that the cuttings do not suffer from the cold. For example, one can use small plastic caps specifically designed for young plants and found in garden centers.
If several branches are planted in a furrow, it is necessary to respect an interval of about fifteen centimeters between them.
During the following months, it is essential to keep the soil always moist, but in no case should it be soggy. Cuttings from a rose bush grown outdoors should be left in place for a year. This duration is absolutely necessary for the roots can form and then develop sufficiently. So it is only during this new autumn that it will be possible to transplant these new roses from cuttings at their final location. They will need at least another three good years to reach a satisfactory size.
It is nice to be able create a rose garden yourself from own cuttings. It takes patience but it is possible, even if not all roses can be propagated by cuttings. There are other methods, such as grafting, branching, or seed propagation (the latter is a sexual propagation method), but this requires a solid background in gardening. In any case, it is absolutely necessary to note that the rose cannot be propagated by simple soaking of its branches in a vase of water. No need to try… The cuttings technique we have just reviewed is much safer!