Before you begin learning about how to grow roses from cuttings, it’s important to know that some roses are patented, so you can’t just go around picking off cuttings. Ask the owner first, or you can just opt to start growing roses from seeds.
Did you know that the different colors of roses have different meanings?
Red roses symbolize love and romance, that’s why they’ve become the symbol for Valentine’s Day for most people. Orange ones represent enthusiasm, so these could be given as a congratulatory bouquet. Yellow roses symbolize friendship and happiness. Green is for vitality, and blue is for hope or possibility. Purple is for charm, pink is for elegance, and white is for innocence. There are other colors and meanings, so make sure to look them up first before giving them to others.
How to Grow Roses from Cuttings without Rooting Hormone
First off, to get the cuttings from existing rose plants, you will need sharp pruning scissors so you could always make clean cuts and not disturb the plant too much. Cut a stem from the bush that’s at least six inches long (not including the bud in measuring).
Make sure that the site you’ll be growing your rose cuttings in has loose, well-draining soil. It should also be somewhere it would get the most morning sun but shaded away from the heat of the harsh afternoon sun.
Now that your planting site is ready, it’s time to remove the lower leaves of your rose cutting. After that, make a couple of light slits at the bottom of the stem that would divide the stem into four parts.
Although a rooting hormone helps plants root faster, it’s not mandatory, especially if you don’t mind waiting a little longer for your plant to produce beautiful roses. Your plant would still grow well even without a rooting hormone. Promise. This guide shows you exactly how to grow roses from cuttings without rooting hormone and still have your plant giving you beautiful blooms.
With that being said, the next step is to poke a hole in the soil with a pencil or something similar. The hole should be deep enough to cover about half of the length of the stem. Place the rose cutting in the hole you just made and then gently push the soil towards the cutting.
If you’re planting multiple cuttings, plant them at least eight inches apart from each other.
Here’s a tip:
Place a jar or a plastic bag over the rose cutting for a makeshift mini greenhouse. It holds the humidity in for longer because moist (not soggy!) soil is what you need for cuttings that are just about to take root.
If you’re planning to transplant these cuttings, make sure that your cuttings have already rooted. If you tug on them lightly, there should be some resistance from the plant, and that’s when it’s safe to transplant them into your garden or a bigger container.
How to Grow Roses from Cuttings Using Potatoes and Honey
Another way of how to grow roses from cuttings is to use potatoes and honey.
Potatoes have a fairly high moisture content which allows rose cuttings to develop healthy roots.
The first thing to do is to fill a six-inch flowerpot with loose, well-draining soil or any high-quality potting medium and slightly moisten it.
Choose a potato with high moisture content to ensure rooting for your rose cuttings. Make a three-inch deep hole in the potato using a pencil or any long, slender, round object that’s about the diameter of your rose cutting.
Before placing your rose cutting on a potato, dip it in a glass of water mixed with half a teaspoon of honey and some of the leaves you cut off from the lower part of the stem. This will serve as a rooting hormone for your plant.
After doing that, place your honey-dipped rose cutting in the hole you just made on the potato. Then, make a hole in the soil that’s deep and wide enough to cover the potato. Then, push the soil gently towards the cutting so that the moisture can be locked in.
Always remember to keep the soil moist and let the plant get enough sunlight daily.
Quick summary
To fully understand how to grow roses from cuttings using potatoes and honey, here’s a quick summary: potatoes only help cuttings root faster because of its moisture content, but it would still need to be planted in the soil; and honey mixed with water can be a substitute for rooting hormones, but powdered rooting hormones still work best in encouraging rooting from rose cuttings.
Growing Roses from Cuttings in Water
Growing roses from cuttings in water is one of the easiest ways to propagate them. All you have to do is fill a glass jar with lukewarm water and place your rose cuttings in it.
Make sure that there are no leaves soaked in the water as this may cause your cutting to rot. Then, place the jar in a bright area but away from direct sunlight. Change the water every few days, especially when the water becomes cloudy.
Rooting roses in water takes about a month, but it may also take longer, depending on various factors such as climate or temperature, rose variety, and amount of sunlight.
It’s important to note that growing roses from cuttings in water will be short-lived, since it won’t get the nutrients that it would normally get in soil. It would be best to still transplant these cuttings onto a pot or garden.
Conclusion
Roses have been around for the longest time, that’s why they have been immortalized in art and literature since the beginning. They have always been associated with love and romance, so it’s no surprise that they’re always present in important life events.
While most people buy ready-made bouquets in flower shops, there are some who go the extra mile of planting the roses themselves just so it would be more sincere and heartfelt.
I hope this guide on how to grow roses from cuttings has helped you, even just a little. Whether your reason for growing a rose plant has to do with romance or something completely different, don’t be afraid to give it a try as this plant is very easy to grow. It’s low maintenance, but it never falls short on the benefits it could give you. Happy gardening!
Read my other post on edible roses garden and urban gardening.
