Taking Multiple Cuttings From A Rose Bush

likekinds
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September 25, 2017

Taking Multiple Cuttings From A Rose Bush - pieces pruned from rose bush 5-6 canes This past spring, I bought a floribunda rose named 'Summer Romance'. A $15 rose for $3. It was 1½-2 feet tall. Since that time, it has grown to over 6 feet. It has not bloomed.

Although not the right time, I pruned it drastically in hopes of shocking it into bloom at least once before winter. The canes I cut from the bush were quite long.

Strictly for my own use, I decided to see how many cuttings I could get from the 5-6 canes I removed from the bush. Here's how I did it.

Supplies:

knife
planting medium
2 liter bottles
plastic tub

Steps:

I cut the canes from the bush immediately above a leaf node. Next, using a clean, sharp knife, I cut the severed cane just below a leaf node.

Taking Multiple Cuttings From A Rose Bush - sever below a leaf node

Next, I removed most of the leaves from a 6 inch portion of the cane by putting my knife under the leaf stem, close to where it meets the cane. Using my thumb to hold the leaf against the knife blade, I twist the blade upward, snapping the leaf stem from the cane.

Taking Multiple Cuttings From A Rose Bush - use knife to remove leaves

Taking Multiple Cuttings From A Rose Bush - leaf snapped from the cane

I leave 2 leaf stems at the upper end of this 6 inch piece. Immediately above the upper leaf stem, I sever the piece from the rest of the cane.

Taking Multiple Cuttings From A Rose Bush - leave two leaf stems and then sever the next section of cane

Taking Multiple Cuttings From A Rose Bush - section with leaf stems remaining

Next, I trim away most of the remaining leaves, leaving only 2-3 per stem.

Taking Multiple Cuttings From A Rose Bush - trim most of the leaves off of the stems, leaving 2-3

I continue this method the rest of the way up the cane til I get to the very tender tip. It is not likely to root. My 5-6 canes have yielded me 16-17 cuttings.

Taking Multiple Cuttings From A Rose Bush - cuttings ready to plant

Usually, I would bundle the whole lot with wire and plunge the bundle into the soil. This time, I'm doing it differently. June and July are the best months for rooting most cuttings, including roses. Cuttings taken in September can root quite well, though the success rate probably won't be as high. The risk of losing the cuttings to damping off is greater at this time of year. For that reason, I am rooting them individually. If one damps off, it will not have a chance to infect others.

Taking Multiple Cuttings From A Rose Bush - individual cuttings under two liter bottle mini greenhouses

Just before the expected first frost, I will lift these cuttings. Those that have rooted will be put into individual pots. The pots will be sunk into the ground and heavily mulched to help protect the tender root systems. Hopefully, come spring, I will have at least a dozen more rose plants to go into a garden set aside just for them.