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timde_gw

Helllp! Rose cuttings!

timde
17 years ago

Hello, all I have recently moved From Nj to Ga. Over the summer I purchased a 12x8 green house.(poly carbonate) I started taking some cuttings from some of my roses to see what would happen. Well they look to be starting to take. The top leaves have browned off,the stems are still a bright green,and are little green buds coming off the stem. Now the problem! None of the books from the library went any further. We are having a cold snap and it got to 28 degrees last night. I bought a little ceramic heater. It kept the gh at about 40 degrees. Must I keep these in the green house all winter? Do they have to go dormant? The root system is not established enough to put in the ground. I do not have a heating system in place yet, nor even thought of one, and I don't want them to die. This is a freak cold front, But when will they be established enough to put them in the ground.Hellp!

Comments (3)

  • aliska12000
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    George Mander and others have been a great help to me. I believe George has perfected a system where he grows his inside and uses lights and heating pads. He grows primarily miniature roses, but the principles are the same. Elsewhere on this forum it has been bandied about that 72 degrees or so is an ideal temp for rooting. You might need to try some bottom heat but not too much. Good luck!

    I didn't do any of mine that way except use the botle method and 1/2 peat and 1/2 pearlite and finally got some success after losing many, still not sure I'm going to be able to get mine through the winter. I used a combination of George's and Michelle_CO's method, started them outside and have brought them into the sunroom for the winter.

    Just offhand it sounds like your greenhouse is too cold. Maybe someone will come along and provide better info. This forum seems to have gone "dormant" like our plants do for the winter.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Cuttings from Cuttings from Cuttings

  • agardenstateof_mind
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    While I cannot precisely address your situation, I can recount my experience from last winter. Based on a post I read here on GW, I stuck several canes from the late autumn pruning into a damp sand/peat mix and set those containers on the floor of my moderately cool small greenhouse. My initial plan was to keep it just above freezing to overwinter some tender plants, but I wound up expanding my expectations and keeping it at a minimum of 50 degrees at bench level. I made sure the (very cool) sand mixture was kept moist. Progress was very slow, but the canes eventually began to show those little buds you mention and finally leaves ... and I wound up with more baby rose bushes than I knew what to do with! If I remember correctly, the gentleman who initially posted this method put his buckets of sand and cuttings in his basement.

    I see you're one zone cooler (I'm in 7), but you may be able to raise the temp in that greenhouse without too much trouble or expense, particularly if you have twinwall polycarb panels. I used weatherstripping on the panels and sealed with caulk any gaps in the frame; added 1" foam insulation board against the north wall and the north 1/3 of the east and west walls and lots of thermal mass (translation: water, as much as possible - it helps stabilize the temperature; I won't get into the technicalities, which I barely understand, but it staves off freezing temps since water "throws off" heat as it reaches the freezing point, basically creating a sort of "speed bump" in the freezing process. I had one large Rubbermaid tote filled and many many 1-gallon milk jugs and 2-liter soda bottles.) This year I added a simple barrier where the base meets the ground, to stop the drafts I noticed last year (my first year with the little 6x8 greenhouse). I did have the entire thing wrapped in a clear solar pool cover, but some people are quite satisfied with bubble-wrap on the inside. Before I got a heater, we used a 500-watt emergency work light on cold nights, and it kept frost at bay. The 1500-watt electric heater seemed to easily hold temps in the desireable range even through single-digit outdoor temperatures. We have a small catalytic propane heater for backup in case of a power failure.

    I've written much more than I intended, but am so happy with the greenhouse; if I had to choose between giving up either my greeenhouse or the second bathroom, it would be no contest :-) We all enjoyed it last winter ... and I'm the only gardener in the family! We eventually learned to look there first whenever my husband went missing ... he'd be out there ... reading. It was truly a wonderful retreat in the dreary winter months, filled with green and flowering plants, and what a delight to harvest fresh herbs, lettuce, cherry tomatoes and peas through winter and/or late winter! This year is the first in a long time that I am actually looking forward to winter as it is no longer an end, but the beginning of a different season and method of growing.

    Bottom line: I'd try to get that greenhouse a little warmer if you can; I think you'll enjoy it tremendously. I'm not a rose expert, but I think those rose cuttings will be alright as long as they don't freeze. I'll be looking to see if someone with more expertise can provide you with a better answer.

    Good luck and much happiness in your new home!

    Diane

  • timde
    Original Author
    17 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thank you both for responding, you have been very helpfull.My buds are getting larger, If I have to keep the heat running I will. I have been using a candle under a large tin can with holes in it. (old camping trick) When it get to chilly the heater comes on.Well Thanks Again folks!

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