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waltmalt

Problem with my Rose cutting

waltmalt
16 years ago

This is the first time I am doing the Rose cuttings. I just put one cutting in the potting soil in a small pot and put it inside the house where it gets good indirect son in the morning. Within two days I saw the growth and it was growing very well for two weeks. Now it seems like it is wilting. What could be the reason? I have been watering it regularly.

Comments (5)

  • rosyone
    16 years ago

    What you saw was premature top growth, the consequence of selecting a stem that had already begun gearing up for a new round of growth by the time it was cut from the plant. The cutting was already committed to the production of new leaves and kept at it, at the expense of the rooting process, until it wore itself out. That's a common beginner's hazard, but easy to avoid once you're aware of it: just avoid cuttings with swelling axillary buds. Take your cuttings a little earlier, while the buds are still fully dormant, and they'll stay dormant until new leaves are needed.

  • waltmalt
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Thank you so much rosyone. I have 3 cuttings of the same kind in the ziplock (I think leaf is dried and one of them). I hope at least one of them will root.

    Is there a link somewhere which has drawing or picture of says how to choose a cutting with good buds?

    Thanks again.

  • rosyone
    16 years ago

    Examine the dormant axillary buds on the stems of opening or newly opened blooms and let that be your guide as to what the buds should look like on a good cutting. They'll be barely visible on some cultivars and fairly prominent on others. And of course, you want healthy leaves on healthy stems that are about average in thickness for the bloom bearing stems of the rose you are working with. And make sure the plant is well hydrated, and that the cuttings aren't exposed to dry air any longer than necessary during handling. When I start cuttings from my own roses I water them well at least 6 hours before (usually the evening before), and then drop the cuttings into a bucket of water as I collect them. Some people trim and wound the stems under water. I don't do that, but I do try to work quickly. There's a discussion of trimming and wounding, complete with photos, at the link below.

    The very best cuttings - those with the highest probability of rooting - are collected when the bloom bud is showing color, just before it would otherwise open. It's rarely necessary to sacrifice the bloom by cutting that early, though, unless the cultivar is unusually difficult to root. With most roses you'll see little or no difference in the success rate if you enjoy the bloom and then wait until it has passed its prime before you cut. Just don't wait too long.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Is this how you scrape the cuttings for rooting?

  • waltmalt
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Thank you so much rosyone. This is defiantly help me to be successful on my next attempt. I live in California, is there a best time of the year to do the cuttings and propagate?

  • rosyone
    16 years ago

    The best time for indoor propagation (under relatively cool conditions)is any time the rose of interest is actively growing and blooming. Roses that don't like summer heat are best put off until the cooler weather of fall arives. Or next spring.

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