I have grown roses from root cuttings twice. Both times by accident. I was moving a Prairie Joy to a sunnier spot and when I was filling in the hole, i noticed a big chunk of root that was left in the hole. I buried the piece of root in the garden with the big end just under the surface and in the spring it sent up a shoot and eventually I gave it to a neighbor where it still lives.

When I moved a William Baffin to a new location, many of the roots left behind sent up sprouts in the spring. Some were quite a few feet from where WB had lived. It is like a little thicket of baby WB's.

If it can be done by accident, than it should be able to be done on purpose. However budding and stem cuttings seem like an easier route with less risk to the mother plant.

I don't know anything wrong with using peat for potting mix other than some claim it is not as renewable a resource as, say, coir. I use peat with 25 to 30 % Perlite and the roses are just fine. At the current time there is a steep premium to pay for coir so I save that for cuttings.

Regards,

Charles

Peat moss is bad as a potting mix when used by itself, because it has no nutrients. It is GOOD for rooting because it has mild antibacterial/antifungal properties and because it has no nutrients (that's good when you're rooting). Like Charles, I mix peat with perlite for a rooting medium. It works well.

After your cuttings have rooted, then you will move them to a planting mix with nutrients, or start to fertilize them (very lightly at first).

Donna

In thinking about this, I am in full agreement with Charles that it would be better to go with the budding and stem cuttings. I really appreciate also the explanation that peat moss is bad as a potting mix but good for rooting. At least, I will get some good out of my purchases. I haven't had too much luck with lots of propagation attempts except my Hot Cocoa took off well, and I have had an Abraham Darby root, although I lost it last winter. I will just keep trying. Thanks so much for your answers. If I absorb only half of what I have read, I will be rich in my knowledge on this forum. Barb