Hi there! I'm a long time reader and infrequent poster. I have just begun to try my hand at rooting roses. I have had 3 of 6 I tried root, so I am pleased with the first time effort.

I used root tone, dipped each cutting about an inch down or so. I used plastic bags filled with a mix of play sand and potting/garden soil supposedly bagged specifically for shrubs. I closed the bags and sat them outside in indirect sun. In exactly one month they rooted. The others lost most of their leaves and I may have over-watered these particular bags during the process. I'm happy with the initial try even with some loss. The info I found here helped very much in my effort! :)

My question regards rooting hormone.

Several later cutting that I never got around to actually rooting were left in a glass of water in a sunny window. I was about to throw away the very first one (clipped much earlier than the others) when I noticed roots from a white callus. I had taken the cutting from my dad's yard way before I was ready to actually start my project and it had lost all it's leaves weeks before. I never thought It would root in there, but I wanted to see what would happen. It did nothing for so long and I literally picked it up to dump out when I noticed tiny new growth and roots. I left it alone and it sprouted some new growth but after a couple weeks the roots turned brown and it died.

I now have a second cutting in water from the second group that seems to be sprouting a new leaf. This group defoliated very quick. We have had some extreme heat here and I assumed they dried out while in the water. One has been a bare twig for a couple weeks, but seems to show a bit of tiny growth and a callus beginning.

I prepared a container thinking I would try and root this one, with the container in a bag to keep in as much moisture as possible.

Should I still dip the cutting in rooting hormone? This will not hurt the callus that is beginning, would it?

It has been in water for some time and I won't be too disappointed if does not survive, but I want to at least try to see if it roots. It's all an experiment anyway, I suppose. Any suggestions about how root tone may affect a beginning callus would be welcome. If you feel I should leave it in the glass till it actually sprouts a couple roots then pot it up, certainly let me know.

Thank you!