It has often been said that rooting cuttings is 'a race to root before it rots.' I think rot has won in this case. It wouldn't hurt to try re-cutting them but I am skeptical that they would root at this point.Fresh cuttings are always easier to root, most failures I attribute to letting the cutting dry out too much before striking it.

use a "clean" medium, like pro - mix or peat based potting mix WITHOUT any fertilizer, mix in one third part clean sand to help with aeration and drainage. I use peat pots, the medium is flooded and then allowed to drain for several hours before I stick the cuttings. Very likely your medium is too wet, and too warm. You must keep the temp between 70-75. if too warm, you get top growth, and rotted canes. Cuttings can be stored in a plastic bag in the fridge for many days or even weeks so you have plenty of time to properly prepare your medium. I use the rooting gel with fungicide, I don't know if that helps, but that's what i do and it works. Start over.

so it seems like my problems are
1) too wet. the soil is pretty wet
2) too hot. its been in the 80's all week and it hasn't fallen below 70 at night.
3) no rooting hormone?? I didn't have any and couldn't find any at the small local garden centers.

by the way I was trying to use the plastic bag method. the soil was just a potting mix i had laying around. It didn't say either way if it had fertilizer so I'm guessing not. I stapled the bag up under our deck so it only gets indirect sunlight. I also opened a little part of the bag so they wouldn't cook.

I have never had a single success using a baggie. I know people who have ... I just haven't.

A friend showed me how to make a mini-greenhouse out of a milk jug and a soda bottle, and I began having WAY more successes than failures. When I root like this, I put my jugs under bushes in the yard where they get almost no sun. Most of my rooting is done now in the greenhouse under mist. The temperature in there is over 90 at any given time, so temperature must not have as much to do with it as you may think.

This method, with step-by-step photos and instructions, is posted on my web site. Click on the How To button. Link Below.

Observations, based on my own experience:

Finding a soil-less mix without fertilizer right now is almost impossible. The presence or absence of fertilizer hasn't appeared to affect my success rate.

I use 1 part spagnum potting mix and 1 part coarse perlite to root cuttings.

Rooting hormone increases your chance of success. Rootone is available just about everywhere. You don't need anything expensive -- just plain Rootone is good.

The biggest thing you can do to increase your chance of success is to take good cuttings from healthy, well-hydrated roses. Get heel wood, if you can. It can make a difference.

Check out my tutorial.

Hope this helps,
Connie

Here is a link that might be useful: Hartwood Home Page

What method are you using? I have a good method that is almost fool proof. Let me hear from you.

jerry ~ what is your *almost* fool-proof method? ~ i've never even considered trying to propagate my roses ~ but, now i'm thinking; hmmmm, why not give it a try ~

will you share your method with me? ~ will it make any difference that you garden in georgia & i garden in chicago suburb?

wolf, i see you are in zone 4; hope you don't mind that i asked a question on your thread (?)

thanks, phyl

jerry...we all want to know!! anything you can tell us will be a great help! Donna

It is listed above by Hartwood just above my listing, but go to this site and follow it and it will work. It has for me better than anything I have every used and it is good for rooting everything, not just roses.
Check out Hartwoodroses.com to see a nearly fool-proof method for propagating roses from cuttings.. If you can't get to the site this is what Hartwood said above:

A friend showed me how to make a mini-greenhouse out of a milk jug and a soda bottle, and I began having WAY more successes than failures. When I root like this, I put my jugs under bushes in the yard where they get almost no sun. Most of my rooting is done now in the greenhouse under mist. The temperature in there is over 90 at any given time, so temperature must not have as much to do with it as you may think.

This method, with step-by-step photos and instructions, is posted on my web site. Click on the How To button. Link Below.

Observations, based on my own experience:

Finding a soil-less mix without fertilizer right now is almost impossible. The presence or absence of fertilizer hasn't appeared to affect my success rate.

I use 1 part spagnum potting mix and 1 part coarse perlite to root cuttings.

Rooting hormone increases your chance of success. Rootone is available just about everywhere. You don't need anything expensive -- just plain Rootone is good.

The biggest thing you can do to increase your chance of success is to take good cuttings from healthy, well-hydrated roses. Get heel wood, if you can. It can make a difference.

I've heard from Connie (Hartwood) that cuttings wrapped in moist paper towels that are stored awhile in a refrigerator get more hydrated and may have better luck rooting. I'm trying it now.

Robert

out of 8 or so attempts, I finally have two cuttings that have formed callus and are starting to form many little bumps where I suspect roots to form. I know I shouldn't be pulling out the cuttings but its just so interesting to look at them.

wolfc,
If you pull up the cuttings to explore their callus/root status, you will seriously inhibit their ability to continue the rooting process. They need to be left undisturbed until they have formed complete roots. Resist the urge to pull them up if you want good results.

2 weeks ago I started rooting some miniatures, one of them didn't make it but the other two are starting to form roots.

I really don't see how removing the cuttings for a look is going to "seriously inhibit their ability to continue the rooting process" I have a few that I've checked multiple times and they continue to grow roots. I haven't had a cutting that callused with little bumps die on me yet.

I'm not just pulling up the cutting, I carefully separate the cutting from the soil. Once I'm done looking, I replace it carefully in a hole and cover it gently with soil.

Sometimes, when I was impatiently waiting to see if my roses were rooted, I too would pull them up to see how they were doing. When the roots are longer, they are still very fragile... and any disturbance will tear and break the root system. Until you see a tap root, it is best to leave them alone to strengthen the plant.