I want to try to root cuttings of a rose from someone else's garden (with permission), a rose that is no longer available commercially.
The question is: what type of cutting is most likely to be successful -- succulent new growth, somewhat woody but green almost mature growth, or truly mature growth?
Green? You said _root_ cuttings. Why would the roots be green?
Aren't most rose bushes grafts? The root might not match the plant.
I have to confess, never tried a root cutting but now I know how I can get a Rose of Sharon with unique colors into my yard. Up until now, I've just been transplanting volunteers and hoping for the best.
Google says, pencil thin section of root or larger.
i would assume you know the difference between a grafted and non-grafted plant and how to tell the difference.
assuming the plant up top is ok to grow in your location on same rootstock as top growth then i think the standard techniques for rooting woody stemmed plants will work.
aka, air layering, cutting and keeping segments in damp soil while also being covered (but also having to monitor for fungal diseases), rooting using rooting hormones... if you can get enough cuttings at least some of them should take.
good luck and let us know how it progresses and what you attempt. :)
songbird
No, I do not want to take a cutting of a root. I want to root a cutting of the top growth. That is, I will cut a shoot, recut the shoot while the shears and shoot are under water, dip the cut end of the shoot in a powdered plant hormone that is supposed to induce roots to form, place the shoot (cut end down) in a nutrient-free medium in a plastic pot, and cover the pot with a plastic dome that serves as a miniature greenhouse.
This is how I create new plants from existing lavendar bushes, chrysanthemums, Dracaenas, Cordylines, pineapples, pothos, nephthytis, etc. The difference is that roses do not root as readily as those others.
Yes, roses are customarily grown on a different root stock. However, I already have a 'Color Magic' (hybrid tea) that was commercially cutting-grown, also termed "own root" in my garden. It seems to be doing well. Also, like roses, European grapes are customarily grown on American root stocks; but I have three vigorous cutting-grown European grape vines that produce abundant fruit.
I haven't rooted any rose cuttings, but I'd imagine nearly woody slips would be best. You can root them in non-nutritive media such as perlite, peat moss/sand, vermiculite, etc. using rooting hormone. Take a cutting with a good growing tip and a couple of nodes, strip the leaves off the bottom node or two, rough up the phloem a tad on the bottom half inch or so of the cutting, dip in a bit of rooting hormone and place the cuttings into the moist medium so as to cover the bottom bare nodes, mist the medium aroung the slip to get good contact, and cut about half of the tips off the leaves to reduce transpiration. Place a plastic baggie over the container and place in bright artificial light or indirect sunlight.
Better yet, if you plan on doing a lot of cutting propagation in the future, consider building a bubble cloner. I made one similar to the following and have been amazed at how quickly I can propagate chili peppers with almost no losses.
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