Yes. Wait until after the first bloom. With most varieties, cuttings with a flower on them are the proper age for softwood cutting.

Do you have space in NYC for lights? I have had very poor luck with rooted cuttings their first winter outside. Even the hardy varieties are trouble that first winter. I start cuttings inside in pots partially so I can control the light, temperature, etc. but also because they are going to have to spend the winter in pots under those lights also.

i don't think we'll have room to set up lights here --- possibly i can rig something on a large window sill (1'x6') that gets a lot of light. but this is the only available surface! maybe i can work something out, though.

but i want to start thinking about this now.

thanks kay!

--robbie--

Make sure you use a window sill at the north side as the sun will cook the cuttings.
The temperature should not go above 72 to 74 F. for best results. Check out my Own Root Cuttings Setup Gallery with detailed comments and info for each of the 30 images.

Here is a link that might be useful: Own Root Cuttings Setup Gallery

Robbie, do you have a balcony or similar outside area you could use in NYC? If so, I think what I would do for any given successfully rooted variety is plant one in your upstate garden, when it is sufficiently strong and hardened off, and leave the other in a pot on this hopefully not mythical balcony in subtropical NYC. I think this belt and suspenders approach increases your odds of successfully overwintering at least one specimen of the variety.

When Kay says "Even the hardy varieties are trouble that first winter", I know that wet protection was a factor in at least some of this trouble. (I'm thinkng specifically of the Apothecary's Rose, and other roses rooted that season.)

Don't the roses have to be own-root to do this?

No, but they will be own-root after you do this. Ha.

Check out the Make More Roses web site. Although it's still under construction, it should help you with your propagation questions.

Here is a link that might be useful: Make More Roses Site