Should have.
Zip-Locks and wet paper towel are pretty standard equipment.
(I should say -- I don't have a great track record. DH is much better at it than I am.)

Jeri

Probably depends upon what rose it is.
Mrs Dudley Cross is really the only rose that is almost guaranteed to root for me.
Reine des Violettes refuses to root for me.
Most of the others I've tried are somewhere in between.

Randy

I know that it's usually best to root cuttings immediately, but it just didn't work out. I guess I'll find out if they got mad at me or not! I'm hoping if I use a rooting hormone that'll help.

Sandy

I think that the key is to not let the cuttings dry whatsoever. once they are protected they are fine.

I just found in my car a plastic bag in which I had left some cuttings. I always wrap them in wet newspaper as soon as I collect them (and I label them). These cuttings must have been left there for about 2 or 3 months. When I found them I opened the packages and all of them (ie 6 different kinds) had started to root. I just had to stick them into compost.

I think another trick is to take lots of cuttings of one plant. I usually take at least 20 cuttings which insures that at least one survives. more often than not most of them do survive which means that I have way too many plants (if someone wants to take the trip to Lyon, I can give away lots of Princesse Marie, Princesse Louise, la Mortolla, Wedding day... all monsters that I have no idea where I will plant!).

Finally, at this time of year dont let the planted cuttings dry off. They do fine in a shaded humid spot.

When we've had to wait I've often stuck the ends of the cuttings in water in a vase or bucket and treated them like cut flowers. We've had good luck with that.

Refrigerating cuttings has been standard technique in rooting woody shrubs..in a sense dormant rooting is the same thing-the idea is that the plants own hormones will collect at the base of the cutting..or what ever..in any case if you have a hard to root rose one of the the things to try is refrigeration. For easy to root it doesnt much matter what you do....keep a list so you know what works for whom.

patricia

Thanks! I feel encouraged about them now. The bags have had humidity in them due to the damp paper towels, so the cuttings still look good.

I decided, despite the fact that I am expecting company this weekend and HAVE to clean my house, that I am going to go out this afternoon and stick my cuttings first. I don't want to risk waiting a few more days. Sure shows where my priorities are. Hmmmm......house cleaning, or "playing with roses".....it's a no-brainer to me!

Sandy

pccrozat,

Lyon is a little too far from Piacenza, otherwise you'd find me at your doorstep: I don't have any of your roses except La Mortola ("don't have" means "want"). Your problem is the reason I rarely take cuttings of climbers! I'm afraid of ending up with great numbers of huge plants I have no room for. But it's a delicious problem.

Are you interested in swapping cuttings later this year? I have about three hundred varieties, many of them mature enough to give cuttings, mostly old and older kinds. I've sent cuttings in envelopes often in Italy. You can contact me by e-mail.

Melissa

P.S. Sandy, sorry for abducting your thread! It has been released unharmed. By the way, OF COURSE rooting roses is more important than cleaning house!

Hey, quite all right Melissa!

Sandy

pccrozat, I love your car-propagation method, that's a new one... :).