Hi,

Sorry I can't be more help right now, but I did want to let you know about a website that was posted on here dealing with propogation...It is really good.

http://www3.telus.net/georgemander/galleries/own_root.html

He has step-by-step pics. of propogation of roses (click on the link at the top) plus other goodies.

there are alot of people on here who are very experienced, I'm just starting out, but hope this helps.
Good Luck!
Michelle

I am here in San Diego and love to make roses from cuttings some work and others just never make it no matter how much patients you have. Once you start to get leafing out some roots are probably forming but I never feed for maybe a year at lest after the first bloom. Plant take a year to bloom but I have a few suckers that are blooming after a couple of months. You never know but after they bloom than you can repot. I had a nice rose bouquet last year and just put a piece of the branch that was showing some signs of growth out by the mailbox and withing a couple of weeks had one flower pretty but not great. This year that same rose is loaded with amazing blooms, huge and healthy. I did this years ago from a red bouquet and now that bush is five feet tall and loaded with gorgeous blooms. But in 22 years I've tried everything to propigate my Moon Shadow with patience but nothing works. I have a cutting that is just sitting there week after week so I think I'll stick it into the ground and forget about it because that amazingly fragrant and overly healthy huge bloomer just must have a way to propigate. Anyway have fun and don't forget to go to Starbucks for free coffee grounds !

Hi Debbysunshine!
I live in San Diego too (well North county) and just did a bunch of cuttings this week including Moonshadow. we'll see if it takes. I just started using rooting hormone so I'll see if that makes a difference.

My family laughs at me because I stop at starbucks a few days a week and I am always looking for coffee grounds!
Belive it or not I almost have too many now :-)

thanks for the advice,
gbebeh

If you start your cutting in early spring, it'll be good sized by fall..here in zone 5, my cuttings can get to be 2 feet tall, at least, si in your neck of the woods..who knows? Own roots grow and perform very well for most growers..and some even better than grafterd varieties. You have nothing to lose but time, so just take it as it comes, and enjoy it. Donna

Thanks Donna, We'll I have started about 6 cuttings so we'll see how they turn out. I did spend some cash on rooting hormone & perlite but if even one bush comes out of it I could consider it breaking even.

What's more funny is that every time I visit a friend with good bushes my first question is "do you mind if I take a small cutting?". So it's a fun conversation starter..........