Wow.... I was busy so couldn't read it in first go. Have read it now and what a comprehensive write up. Thanks a ton bluegirl. It's a great help.

Few questions from bluegirl and Straw:

- Temperature in Islamabad during next two months will stay like 1-2*C min and 15-18*C max. On few odd nights, it might drop down to -1 or -2 but not below that. It might rain once or twice in a month.... no snowfall. Now, in this weather, will it be ok to keep the cuttings in the pots in open where they will be exposed at night to cold / frost and during day to sun OR keep them in shade. All cuttings will be in terracotta pots with river soil used as medium. I have mixed lot of crushed branches of willow tree in the soil.

- For how long should I dip the cuttings in diluted solution made from crush willow branches? 1 day, 2 days or more.

- After all the cuttings have been planted, should I dispose off the diluted willow branch solution or use it in the pots with cuttings instead of water?

best regards

One more question. All my rose beds get 6-8 hours sun at least and there are spaces available between the bushes where I can plant cuttings in ground. On the other hand, there is a whole side of my house which doesn't get sun and therefore lot of space is available to make new bed for cuttings. What would be better.... planting cuttings in the already existing rose beds that get full sun or plant them in fresh bed which is in shade? In any case, the sprouted cuttings will be transferred to pots in Mar / April

best regards

Hi Khalid: With regard to your questions:

For how long should I dip the cuttings in diluted solution made from crush willow branches? 1 day, 2 days or more. I would dip in 1 day, when the cuttings are dipped too long, the leaves go downhill & less food storage in leaves.

After all the cuttings have been planted, should I dispose off the diluted willow branch solution or use it in the pots with cuttings instead of water? I would use the water in the pots. One year in Dec., it was below zero C, I piled up willow branches with leaves on top of Radio Times rose to winter-protect, that was AFTER I piled up dirt around that rose (much earlier).

In mid April, after 4 months, I took the coverings off, and found a baby-rose rooted next to the Mommy rose. When I piled up dirt, then willow-branches on top, I created a STABLE TEMP to protect the roots being broken by the freeze-thaw cycle, and the baby's roots grew big during those very cold months in my zone 5a, where the temp. can go down to -20 F, or -29 C.

For your question, of which is better: existing bed in full-sun, or new bed in shade for cuttings. I would plant them in fresh bed which is in shade. Rosemary plant is not hardy in my cold zone 5a. When I planted it next to the house, in full sun, plus piled up dirt, it died through the winter. Why? The sun heats up the soil, then it freezes at night .. that freeze-thaw cycle destroyed the roots. The next year, I planted rosemary plant next to the house, in shade, plus piled up leaves. The roots STAYED at stable temp & kept moist in shade., and that survived the winter.

The below article is written from a cold zone (Michigan and Ohio), it doesn't apply to Khalid's warm zone 9, but it shows STABILITY is the key to roots' health.

http://www.toledoblade.com/Kelly-Heidbreder/2015/12/13/Ground-is-used-to-temperature-s-fluctuation-1.html

"When most of the water in the soil gets below freezing for a long period of time, it will freeze. The temperature may have to get below the freezing mark because the water is actually insulated by the matter around it. That is why a bridge or overpass will freeze before the roadway.

When the water in the soil turns to ice, the water expands. This can push up the matter around it. This freezing and thawing can cause the ground to heave and create potholes in the pavement.

Keep it frozen

The frozen ground will also protect the roots of your plants. If the plant is hardy, it can survive the deep cold of winter. Many plants go into dormancy to store energy for when they need it in the spring.

Keeping the roots of your plants frozen in the ground is key. Once our temperatures drop below freezing for a longer period, the water in the ground will freeze. That is when you can give it another layer of insulation.

When the ground is frozen, you can cover your plants with a three or four-inch layer of mulch. This will give it a barrier from the wind and quick warm ups like this.

http://www.toledoblade.com/Kelly-Heidbreder/2015/12/13/Ground-is-used-to-temperature-s-fluctuation-1.html#Hp0SyLY1XBcEHkrc.99

Bluegirl shared with me on how easy it is to bud on rootstock compared to root roses from cuttings. Bluegirl wrote "And it can be astonishingly fast when everything goes great. I budded a species cross to Spray Cecile Brunner early in June & 6 weeks later, the bud had made a cane over 2 feet long! "

Wow! A cane over 2 feet long, or over 61 cm in 6 weeks ... that's so encouraging !!

It takes over 2 months just to produce wimpy roots on cuttings !! I never know that budding can produce such fast growth. I can easily buy cheap bare-root on Dr. Huey, whack the top off, then bud my wanted rose on Dr. Huey. That rootstock is very aggressive in my rock-hard clay, Dr. Huey went down 6 inch, or 15 cm within 2 months .. saw that when I dug up grafted-Pink-Peace rose to fix the soil.

Khalid: You mentioned Gruss an Teplitz (parent of Dr. Huey) grows wild in your native Pakistan .. that should be the ideal rootstock: one can easily chop off the top of Gruss, and bud any rose on that !!

Straw: Gruss an Teplitz doesn't grow wild but it is very common. You can see it every where. It is cultivated as a crop as well. Since it is so common it is called "Desi Gulab" which means native rose.

Commonly used root stock is Rosa centifolia or sometomes Bengal Rose

Straw: Missed your post regarding willow branches and planting cuttings in the shade. Gives me a big relief. Now I can plant many more cuttings, may be over hundred. Thanks a lot for the info Straw.

Straw: Progress on cuttings..... They seem to be doing well.

I had mixed willow branches in the soil. I am using simple river soil with no manures or compost. Then I did sort of mulching with willow branches that were kept in water for 3-4 days and watered the pot with the same water which had turned brown by now.

Then I gave the pot around 3 inches layers of dry leaves. Just to keep them warm and to retain moisture in the soil.

Most cuttings seem to be doing well and they are all green. Some of them look ready to sprout in 10-15 days

Khalid: I'm glad that your cuttings are doing well.. and the pots are pretty too. They are in partial shade, right? My cuttings under a bush did better than open air. The bush' leaves give off humidity, so leaves don't get dried out. Plus I don't have to water cuttings much when they are in partial shade.

I didn't give these much care at all and maybe two might survive ... put in 12/24

these were rooted cuttings given to me by an awesome person ... hopefully I don't kill all of them

Msgirl: Very organized rootings you have .. I hope they thrive, esp. when given by a friend. Great idea to tag them with those pink-plastic .. I use tongue-depressor sticks to tag my plants ... including tomatoes.

Wow.... nice effort msdorkgirl. I still have to tag my cutting (and I know that important) but I am being lazy. What medium are you using for you cuttings?

Straw: The medium I used this time is 50% dry leaves and willow twigs and 50% soil. Then I covered the cuttings with a thick layer of dry leaves. Let's see how it works.

Wow, I've been reading threads here--some incredibly lovely gardens & roses & lots of interesting information.

Khalid: your cuttings are looking very good--congratulations! Haha--I hope you don't wait too long to label cuttings. I get so mad at myself when I neglect doing that & then I forget what they are & I have to wait months for the things to bloom to figure out what they are. Do you have plastic mini window blinds there? They are common & cheap here & a popular label. You just cut them into 3-4" lengths ( I use a paper cutter) & when marked with pencil they last forever without fading or wearing the name off. I use them to mark budded canes, too--punch a hole at one end & attach with a twist tie.

Straw: I hope you will feel much better soon--how frustrating to be laid low by something you thought was supposed to protect your health.

I wish I could root roses by sticking them under the mother plant--that's a very famous traditional way to do it--some folks add a glass jar over the cuttings, too--but I never had any luck with it--not with roses.

Msdorkgirl :-D You must be very nice & have asked for cuttings very sweetly--I hope they all do well.

Khalid: does Rosa Primula grow in your area? It's a beautiful plant--red stems with wing thorns, pale yellow flowers. But most impressive--a wonderful leaf scent--almost like sandlewood.

http://www.cirrusimage.com/flower_primrose_rose.htm

It's famously hard to root--even for professionals. I purchased a couple of them budded on multiflora 2 years ago & they are growing well. (very hard to get here)

I plan to bud it to Fortuniana or IXL this year--a friend who breeds with it successfully budded it to IXL.

I'm determined to root the thing--for the pure challenge! Think I'll try that method where you cut vertically through the stem with a razor, insert a toothpick in the wound to hold it open, & let the edges of the wound callous for a couple of weeks. Then you take off the cane at the calloused cut.

Don't know if it will work but nothin' else has!

bluegirl: Thanks for the info on Rosa primula. I have seen a wild rose similar to the photo you have post in the hills of Murree (Himalayan region) but I think it is Rosa brunonii. Here is the photo

It has a nice sent and more often, grows along pine tree as a large size climber.

But my favourite wild rose (and there are so many of them in Pakistani mountains) is Rosa webbiana

Rosa webbiana grows in both Himalayan and Karakoram regions. It's a lovely rose and the only rose that can grow at 12000 ft. Actually, there are few large size plants that can grow at that height.

Here is a picture of my mister. I use it for cuttings.

Sam: thanks for the pic, that shows how easy it is to set up a mister. I need such for my drier spring & early fall. My climate has 8 inch. less rain than yours.

Khalid: Thanks for that pic. of Rosa webbiana, lovely colors !!

Bluegirl: Please let me know how that toothpick method works for you .. you explain it better than anyone else. Thanks. I like the Tongue Depressor Sticks to label my plants, $5 for a box of 100 count on Amazon. Wood Craft sticks works too but it's thinner than Tongue Depressor sticks (lasts longer in my wet & cold months).

http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Jumbo-Wood-Craft-Sticks/dp/B0009XTX24/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1452610125&sr=8-6&keywords=tongue+depressors

Straw: A question. My cuttings from Aug last year that are now small bushes are still in pots (4-6 cuttings per pot) and I haven't shifted them yet. They are still in open and in 12" pot which is not very big. These are sprouted cuttings that I am talking about. Should I let them stay like this and replant in separate pots when they are a little bigger? Those from thicker shoots are 10" to 14" but those from smaller shoots are barely six inches and look like tender plants. But they are all growing slowly. Should I keep them in open and in the same pots. In open they get full sun during day but at night they are exposed to cold (2-4* C min) and might some night get frost also.

best regards

Middle pot in the top line and bottom three pots are cuttings from this August. As you can see some are fairly big while few are very small.

Folks don't transfer cutting until they grow new leaves. To insulate pots in cold weather, it's recommended to put them on some cushion (straw), rather than cold cement. 2 to 4 C is 35 F, and that's too cold for root-growth, they are best left-alone. Root growth doesn't happen until it's 15 C, or 60 F.

When the temp is 35 F or 1.6 C, I line them up against the house for warmth, but put a cushion underneath. If you have some straw, leaves, or cushion to top that off, that would insulate the top-most roots. When I bake muffins, I put different plates on different surface: cold glass counter, warm cotton-padding, and elevated on the rack (with air at the bottom). The muffins on warm-cotton-padding stay warm TWICE longer than the muffins on the rack or cold glass counter.

With our -20 F, or -28 C, I put bags on soil on the side of my raised bed, to insulate them.

So this means I should not shift them into individual pots now rather make arrangements to keep the pot warm. Will shift them in March. Thank Straw

Khalid has a climate closer to Paul Zimmerman.

Khalid

Have you seen Paul Zimmerman videos about moving roses?

No Sam. Unfortunately I haven't but will do so in first opportunity. Thanks for the info

Khalid: also if you plan to use compost in the new & bigger pots, the longer they decompose the better. I used NOT fully decomposed stuff in the planting hole, and that really stunt plants.

Oh that's important. Thanks for pointing out Straw

Here are few cuttings taken in last Aug.

Here is the mother bush of Jasmina. It was pruned heavily (since I can't allow my roses to become too big in pots) on 28 Jan this but has grown this much again in around 50 days. This photo has been taken in today.

Here are three cuttings (in one pot) taken from the same bush in Aug last year. Good growth I guess. Here is my original William Morris bush in the pot. It was also pruned the same day, ie, 28 Jan this year. Had grown quite big last year and like Jasmina, it was also pruned heavily (6 inches from pot surface).

Here in the center left (in bigger pot with wider base), is the cutting taken from this bush in Aug last year. On its left is a cutting of Jasmina taken on same day. Around them are newly planted roses (planted on 26 Jan this year but grafted in the nursery in July last year). None of them is bigger and healthier that the William Morris cutting taken a month later.

It looks to me that Islamabad is a good place for growing own root roses. The cutting grow at rapid speed and make a full size bush in one year. Perhaps it takes longer in Europe and USA because the own root bushes sold on Hairloom and others are quite small as compared to this WM cutting. Is it due to the weather? ie, a 9 months growth period in Islamabad.

Now here are some of the cutting taken during mid and end January this year.

These are cuttings in ground planted in end January this year. This side of my lawn doesn't get any sun whole day. They seem to be doing ok.

Here are few cuttings in the pots. Cutting in ground have mostly survived. These cuttings in pots were taken from end Dec to end Jan.

Many are still sprouting. Few have died down.

I guess I will have around 150-200 cuttings available. Let's see how many of them survive summers and monsoon. Planning to have enough of them by the time I shift to a bigger house next year, hopefully.

The performance of cutting in the ground is much better, over 80% have survived. In pots too, around 50% have survived.

This is such a wonderful thread thank you for this valuable information...

Wow! Such big cuttings, esp. of Jasmina. Your cuttings are HUGE, very successful and healthy too. How's the texture of the soil that you used? Is it fluffy and loamy and don't stick together? The best own-root that I purchased came in fluffy medium/soil that doesn't cling tight to the root. Yes, you have a longer & warmer growing season than Heirloom roses (mostly cool weather).

Straw: After having lot of discussion with members here and after lot of reading, I have reached the conclusion that this river soil is a blessing for us. Since it comes from high altitude glaciers, it contains most minerals in abundance, specially the trace elements. It's texture is neither too sticky nor too sandy and nor too fluffy. It's something inbetween but more towards fluffier side. It sticks with the roots a bit but not much. Allows good air circulation too. Frankly, I haven't found anything better than this for growing plants, specially roses. This river soil has more to do with the health of my plants than anything else that I have used. Those roses that were just fed one odd time during whole year did the best. That indicates that the river soil contains good balance of required minerals and perhaps they come in a form that can be readily consumed by the plants.

As Bob Cannard says ,Together with the minerals in the soil and the life in the soil too (from the compost and the churning of the river). As Elaine Ingham says and Vandana Shiva, you have to have the life in the soil.

Thank you, Khalid, for the info. on your rich river-soil. Our potting soil is inferior: just peat moss, lime, and wood-chips !! We have a river that runs through our town, I'm going to the river bank to get some soil for my rootings .. after 3 years of failure with potting soil & sand, I'm GOING BACK TO NATURE, rather than man-made stuff.

Straw: This is a very good decision. I am quite certain that you will find it better than any medium you have used so far. What is the colour of water in the river during summers. If it is a clear water stream during summers than there will be very less soil around and It's bed is likely to be rocky. But if it gets muddy during summers (in routine, not in rains only) than this river does carry soil and it will be good..... at an average, it will be better than most artificial potting soil that we have (unless they dump toxic industrial waste directly in the river which is not likely in a developed country). Afterall nature has it's own way and we still need to go a long way to fully understand it.

best of luck.

That's a fantastic tip you gave us: "If it is a clear water stream during summers than there will be very less soil around and It's bed is likely to be rocky. But if it gets muddy during summers (in routine, not in rains only) than this river does carry soil and it will be good..." Thank you !!

I will wait until the dam below my property is totally dry and take some soil there... I think I really should do this.... follow Khalid's method of creating good soil for roses...

Jess wrote: "I will wait until the dam below my property is totally dry and take some soil there... I think I really should do this.... follow Khalid's method of creating good soil for roses..."

That's a great idea Jess. I would suggest this to all to bring soils from rivers, canals and jungles. The jungle soil also contains lot of organic matter. It will be far better than the artificial potting mix that we have been using for long. Natural soil is far better in my view. With time I am getting convinced that things done in nature are the best... we should just try to follow them (I may be wrong in my understanding but somehow I am getting convinced about it with time)

Now I have good news to share.

I had a wonderful rose bush last year called Westerland. It stayed with me for around 5 months, grew splendidly and bloomed profusely, even in hot summers with temps over 40*C.

Then one day, this wonderful rose started wilting. I took out the bush and saw that the soil had termite and the hard roots had been eaten up. It was very hot and the bush perhaps dehydrated in few hours after the roots were eaten up. I did my best to save to bush, kept the left over roots in water for some time and replanted it in pure soil with nothing else added to it. Reluctantly, I also took few cuttings (which were also wilting) and planted them in a pot. The bush did not survive and died in few days completely. I felt very bad but completely forgot about the cuttings as I planted many more cuttings in the monsoon.

I felt very sad when I lost Westerland. Loved this rose and since I had imported it from Germany, it wasn't easy to get it again. It wasn't available in Pakistan. I tried to get it from UK but couldn't.

Last monsoon and winters, I couldn't tag most of my cutting because of my commitments and when they grew, I didn't know what they were and could only confirmed their id after seeing their blooms. I kept separating those cuttings as and when they bloomed. One small cutting that took lot of time in growing to a reasonable size also developed buds and when it bloomed....

It's Westerland. The bloom is tiny and less fragrant but it's Westerland for sure. That dying wilted cutting survived and I again have this favourite rose of mine. It further strengthens my belief that life and death of all living beings is in God's hand....nothing can change it.

Hope it grows well...

Khalid: I'm happy to hear about Westerland cutting made it !! I love what you wrote: "It further strengthens my belief that life and death of all living beings is in God's hand....nothing can change it."

Roses are actually best as own-roots in pots ... they are more compact. Westerland is such a pretty orange !!

That is such WONDERFUL BEAUTIFUL news Khalid!

it is a stunning rose, what a miracle...the miracle of life...and as you said in God's hands... this makes me so happy!

I lost many cuttings in pots when I was travelling abroad in May and temp on one day suddenly shot from 34 to 44*C. That was a big increase and my son's couldn't take of the cutting. Many of them in pots dehydrated in few hours. However, most of the cuttings in ground and quite a few in those pots that were in full shade survived.

An update on cuttings..... many of them, planted in Feb this year, have started blooming....

Yellow is Golden Celebration and peach is William Morris.

Numerous cuttings of La France have started blooming.

Most of my La France cuttings were hardwood cuttings of this size. This was around 25 days back. Now its much bigger and blooming.

Many Black Prince cuttings have started blooming too.

These are La France and Condesa de Sastago cuttings.

Survival rate of cuttings in ground is much better. I planted all my cuttings in plain river soil with nothing added to it. No fertilizers but a 2-3 inch layer of dry leaves in Feb that saved the cuttings from cold and is now decomposing into a fine compost.

This cutting of Mirandy was gifted to me by a friend in Mar. Has started blooming....

Westerland cutting from last year is doing very well. It's the only survival from the mother bush that died last year.

Signature cutting is doing very well. Lot of buds but I pinched all after taking pics.

All cuttings from Feb. Growing well. This was 15 days back. Now they are bigger. The bed has a 2" layer of leaves.

2" of leaves !! Thank you for that tip. I'm going to get the 4 bags of grass-clippings the neighbor put out .. hopefully the grass seed don't sprout on me.

Your rootings look great: healthy leaves and vigorous. I should start my pots for rootings soon.

WM and GC cuttings blooming

William Morris has a nice pink color. I'm excited about receiving that rose next week, bought from Roses Unlimited.

That's a good buy Straw. Depending upon the weather and soil, shade will stay between deep salmon to light pink. Lot of variation in shade in this rose. Very nice scent.

Hello Khalid what variety of flower is that

burning2souls: All plants posted in this thread are roses of different categories.

An update on the cuttings planted this year......

After pruning in different days in December, I planted many cuttings. An update of the progress so far.

Cuttings planted in ground, under a shady tree are doing much better and many of them seem to be sprouting. These cuttings are in full shade and do not get any sun.

Cuttings in pots (where they get 3-4 hours sun in the morning) seem to be ok so far and many are still green but sprouting rate is much less.

My previous observation seem to be strengthening after seeing the sprouting pattern so far. They are:

1. A strong and healthy cutting will always have more chances of sprouting as compared to a weak and thin cutting.
2. Sharp cutting is essential.
3. Cuttings must be planted in a manner that moisture is preserved but at the same time, it shouldn't be so damp that they started rotting. A thick and healthy cutting helps here. Many of my think looking cuttings did sprout initially but didn't survive a single day of neglect when the weather changed. My thick Dhardwood cuttings are the ones that survived the hot summer that are to follow.

During the past two years, I observed that use of hormone rooting powder didn't help much. Actually many cuttings rotted and developed fungus at the bottom, place where rooting powder was applied. I am not using rooting powder at all now and there is no visible disadvantage rather the sprouting rate is better. This however may not entirely be due to not using rooting powder but due to host of other reasons too.

The medium I am using is the natural river soil with nothing added to it. In beds, I cover the ground with a layer of leaves.

Will report progress after 15 days.

best regards

thank you, Khalid, for the report of your rooting in winter, zone 9b. In my summer, zone 5a, I notice that it's MORE HUMID under the trees, and my cuttings do much better under a bush, or a tree. From Wikipedia: "Transpiration is the process of water movement through a plant and its evaporation from aerial parts, such as leaves, stems and flowers." So leaves do give off humidity through pores (stomata).

Your cuttings in the ground looks really good with a thick layer of leaves. What I like about leaves on top: that hold water ... when water evaporates, it gives humidity to cuttings.

Folks who root via plastic baggie: they put a WET paper towel on the surface of the medium, so that helps to retain moisture underneath.

Agree with you on rooting powder: it's acidic, so it will induce more rot (black canker) if the medium is already acidic. Rooting powder is useful IF alkaline tap-water is used, but it becomes too acidic with acidic rain water, that will rot the cutting.

Thanks Khalid, my cuttings don't survive either, I buy the flowers from the market the bouquets which they sell on roads none of them have survived so far, do you cover them with a polythene or some dome, what other things are important and how thin stick have you been able to root successfully

Regards

burning2souls: Some links in Organic rose for rooting in cold zone:

http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/4313593/soil-mix-for-indoor-baggie-rose-rooting-vs-outdoor-rooting-with-rain?n=54

Bluegirl from Texas explained on rooting in the below link. I exchanged rootings with her for the past 3 years:

http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/4095901/roses-for-hot-and-dry-hot-and-wet-shady-and-dry-shady-and-wet-locations?n=52

BUMP UP FOR REFERENCE with bluegirl's chip-budding procedure.

ROOTING ROSES with soft-wood cuttings IN LESS THAN 2 MONTHS. I'm in zone 5a, Chicagoland. Roses die to the crown through winter, and don't sprout new canes until May. Below rootings are from softwood & new growth. Soft-wood needs FAST DRAINAGE, so I use 1/3 perlite, 1/3 vermiculite, 1/3 sand or peaty potting soil. I drilled extra holes on the side of pots for fast drainage.
First I top with my high magnesium clay, later on I top with high-nitrogen black peat compost. Watering is done once a day with acidic rain-water plus soaked red-lava for potassium. Soft-wood cuttings need more sun (at least 4 hrs.) to prevent fungal rot. Also pots are under a Norway spruce trees to shelter them from heavy rain that rot roots. These pots receive 10 to 20% of rain. I also put them ON TOP OF BRICKS to prevent roots of tree from crawling upward into pots.

Below pic. is Evelyn from a rooting taken from a cutting 2 months ago. Since it's in partial shade, leaf-cutter bees ate the leaves.

Rooting softwood is different from hardwood. Softwood requires more sun and I CANNOT COVER with plastic (they rot). But hardwood can be PARTIALLY covered with plastic to create more humidity, see below picture from below link (by Pamela), using coffee-cup (with plastic lid), but there's a hole to allow air to get it. https://www.flowerpatchfarmhouse.com/rooting-roses-from.../

Differences between soft-wood and hard-wood rooting: Soft-wood cuttings needs to be soaked for 1 day with alkaline tap water, rooting hormone is NOT necessary if the end is wounded. Soft-wood's leaves wilt easily with acidic rain. Soft-wood needs a FAST-DRAINING & fluffy medium such as perlite & potting soil, plus vermiculite to retain nutrients. Soft-wood also needs alkaline pH (more lime added). Soft-wood rots easily if the medium is acidic. Soft-wood also rots if covered with a plastic bag, best rooted in open air. Soft-wood also needs more sun to grow leaves. Below are my soft-wood rootings receiving only 10 to 20% of rain since heavy rain rots the rootings easily.

HARD-WOOD rooting: needs longer-soak in acidic rain-water, plus rooting hormone to develop roots. Needs a wetter medium (such as 3/4 sand & 1/4 to 1/3 peatmoss), needs more shade, best with high humidity such as a plastic cover. To soak, see below link: "A long soak of the cuttings in one inch of below solution for 12-25 hours. Rates if you use Rhizopon AA Water Soluble Tablets: 1-2 tablets per liter of water." http://www.rooting-hormones.com/rose.htm

Fat bud on a rooting done in less than 2 months. The secret is red-lava rock watering for potassium. Learn that tip from HMF Jay-Jay in the Netherlands ... he grows roses from seeds, using red-lava-sand.

Below are my rootings done a few years ago under a spruce tree to block out heavy rain:

See excerpt from below link: "Collect young first-year twigs and stems of any of willow (Salix spp.) species, these have green or yellow bark. Don’t use the older growth that has brown or grey bark.

1. Remove all the leaves, these are not used.
2. Take the twigs and cut them up into short pieces around 1″ (2.5cm) long.
   a) Place the chopped willow twigs in a container and cover with boiling water, just like making tea, and allow the “tea” to stand overnight.
   b) Place the chopped willow twigs in a container and cover with tap water (unheated), and let it soak for several days.
3. When finished, separate the liquid from the twigs by carefully pouring out the liquid, or pouring it through a strainer or sieve. The liquid is now ready to use for rooting cuttings." https://deepgreenpermaculture.com/diy-instructions/home-made-plant-rooting-hormone-willow-water/

bump up this thread for reference.