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woodnative

Help guide me through propagation of an old rose bush

woodnative
7 years ago

Hello. I am good with plants and propagation but I have never propagated a rose. My beloved grandmother is in her mid-90s still in her own Philadelphia home but not doing as well. She has a white multiflora(?) type rose on the side of her house that has been there my whole life (about 5 decades!). I would love to propagate it. I think July is a good time to take cuttings (?). Please guide me as to the best way to get a cutting to root from this plant, what the best cuttings are, how long, how many nodes, how to treat it etc. Thank you in advance!

Comments (26)

  • fencergal05
    7 years ago

    Hi,

    This may work for you:

    http://pushingtheroseenvelope.blogspot.com/2014/11/chip-budding.html

    Article by renowned American hybridizer Kim Rupert.

  • woodnative
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    fencagirl and Carlota thank you for your replies! fencagirl I think that it probably behond what I can do now since this is the only rose, but an interesting article and propagation method. Carlota that may be more reasonable, and the cutting method is probably what I will do. I don't have photos right now, in fact I am not physically there......she is about an hour and a half plus away from me......but I hope to get there in one of the upcoming weekends. Otherwise I can be patient!! THank you again I will update when and if I get there to take cuttings.

  • carlotaroser
    7 years ago

    Woodnative,

    Good luck. If you need anything just ask. Some roses can be very difficult to root and others seem to do it without any effort.

    Carlota

  • woodnative
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    I finally got to my grandmothers. Both my grandmother and this rose have thrived at this house for more than the five decades I have been on this earth. Both have declined a lot this past year. This rose has always looked excellent but was a bit sparse now. I grabbed about five cuttings. Any guess on variety from this flower cluster?

  • woodnative
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    The base. It is between a cement step and an air conditioner.

  • diane_nj 6b/7a
    7 years ago

    Any fragrance? Any other descriptions? Photos of newly open looms, foliage? Could be the hybrid tea John F. Kennedy, it is a very popular variety, and the timing would be right, but more info would help with the identification.

  • woodnative
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    Diane. Hmm. It is fragrant (and unfortunately I am not by the plant anymore) but I don't know how to describe it. Not John F. Kennedy though. The blooms are a little smaller than many types I think (though not "small") and in clusters.....the ones in the photo are all from the tip of one stem. Hard to see but that is my large hand to the right of the cluster.They don't seem to open with as much classic bud vase perfection like most tea roses, though one of the ones in the photo looks good. The foliage is dark green. The plant has always been a tall bush, 6-7 feet high. Not a climber, definitely a bush form, somewhat upright, but not a climber. It surprisingly was sparse this year, as it has always been full of foliage and flushes of flowers. I can't say more about bloom time. Once again I know it has been planted and growing in same spot more than 50 years.

  • woodnative
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    Well the cuttings dropped the existing leaves but at least a couple feel rooted and are beginning to grow. Now these are small branches to begin with so new leaves/branches are quite tiny at the moment.

  • mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)
    7 years ago

    Do Not Tug! Leave them alone.

  • woodnative
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    Will do (or not do!). They have new growth coming, but they are TINY cuttings. My question is what to do this coming winter to assist survival. I am in central NJ. Leave them in the ground planted normally. Plant in the ground in a sheltered area (e.g. against the house), keep them potted over winter or.....?

  • mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)
    7 years ago

    In a colder zone, what I do is keep the pots in the basement under lights for the winter. You will be told that roses aren't houseplants, and the inhabited parts of the house are too warm and dry for roses. The uninhabited parts, however, are often a decent place for them. If you have an attached garage that doesn't go below freezing, that would be a comparable place. The colder they are, the less light they need, but it is hard to keep them dormant if the temperatures stay around 50. Plain vanilla shoplights work fine. The important thing is to keep them almost touching the plants.

    In a warmer climate than here, I did start cuttings outside. They were in the ground on the east side of the house. Since they were already in the ground, there was no chance of damaging root systems by moving them. That worked less well because a bad winter could take them out.

    Whatever you do, do not cover them with so-called winter protection. In a climate as wet and unstable as the east coast, this is an excellent way to kill roses. There is a lot of really nasty stuff that loves it wet and in the 40s.

    woodnative thanked mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)
  • woodnative
    Original Author
    7 years ago

    Thank you mad gallica!! A photo of a tiny treasure!

  • countrygirlsc, Upstate SC
    7 years ago

    Congratulations! I usually keep mine in a room in my unheated basement. They do fine - if I don't overwater them!

    woodnative thanked countrygirlsc, Upstate SC
  • bluzin1
    7 years ago

    It looks like Iceberg - I had 1 and it tended to pink spot once the flowers opened.....

  • woodnative
    Original Author
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Update: I had two cuttings inside that started to grow but eventually rotted. One outside in a pot something dug up in late summer. One in the ground in a protected spot against the house (the same one in the photo above). The leaves on the small new branch have stayed green thus far this winter. I hope this little guy makes it. My grandmother passed on Christmas Eve, and her house will most likely be sold, so this will be a nice remembrance.

  • woodnative
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    The one cutting has done nicely this summer........grown a lot and even flowering. I need to move it a bit (it is against the house and other plants too close) but I will wait until next Spring for that. I need to give it a real spot and space to grow large next.

  • kittymoonbeam
    6 years ago

    Hooray! Glad your rose is doing well.

  • woodnative
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    An update in May 2019. Really taking off this year.....we had a graduation celebration in the family and these blooms corresponded to it.......I think Granny was there with us. She always loved the family together. Really happy this one cutting made it, and it has been slowly increasing in size. I am still curious of the cultivar, though that is less important than the sentimental value.


  • woodnative
    Original Author
    4 years ago


    A close-up of the flowers.

  • Lesli Neubauer (South central TX zone 8b/9)
    4 years ago

    Have you started more cuttings of this rose? I have found that sharing with others is the best way to insure that you'll always have it! It is so beautiful! Congratulations on your success!

    woodnative thanked Lesli Neubauer (South central TX zone 8b/9)
  • Vaporvac Z6-OhioRiverValley
    4 years ago

    That's beautiful. You should post it over at the Antique and regular Rose Forum for an ID. Include all the info and original pics as well as fragrance, etc. It looks familiar, but I can't place it. They are great over there. I also agree with Lesli! Make some more cuttings and share them with family members or neighbors. : ))

    woodnative thanked Vaporvac Z6-OhioRiverValley
  • woodnative
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    Doing well and a special plant as it always reminds me of my grandmother. Still don't know the type. flowers on the smaller side. Growth more reddish tinge when young but a deep green now at flowering.

  • woodnative
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    A top view of flowers.

  • Vaporvac Z6-OhioRiverValley
    3 years ago

    That is a beautiful flower worthwhile propagating for its own value as well as its sentimental. Just gorgeous. I hope someone can help ID. Perhaps some pics of buds, sepals, leaves and stem would help. Have you share it with friends and family yet? You do realize you now are the legacy carrier! Well done!

    woodnative thanked Vaporvac Z6-OhioRiverValley
  • Lesli Neubauer (South central TX zone 8b/9)
    3 years ago

    it's not Morden Blush is it? mine is just a baby, but your rose reminds me of it. although your seems like more flowers.

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