I have tried so many different techniques and failed. Finally just got a bag of soil conditioner (pine bark fines) and I have had great success. I just take cuttings, stick them in pots of the bark, water well and leave them out in dappled shade. No rooting hormone, nada..The bark drains fast, but does stay damp. They are unprotected from the weather, so get soaked when it rains. It may not work for everyone, but it has been a miracle for me! I water them about once a week..The top will be dry, but there is still a lot of moisture in the bottom part of the pot.

Thanks, It's worth a try. Something's got to work. It wouldn't be a problem so much if the rose was available.

It is entirely possible that the rose is naturally extremely difficult to root, and was originally propagated by budding.

mad_gallica you are so right about that!! I am not a pro rooter, but this is working for me. I think the other techniques were hard for me because my ADHD would kick in and I just couldn't leave them alone! lol Granted, I did kill a bunch in the pine barks because the top would be so dry...didn't realize how damp they would stay lower in the pot! I am a big researcher and believe I made things harder than they should have been by hovering/worrying with them!

I wouldn't be upset. Many of us hover. We hover over our kids, over plants or pets. Just how many of us have ADHD, without even knowing! I bet Trump has it too!

I am certainly not ashamed of my ADHD, I am a multi tasking machine! lol!

I use sand with mostly good results, but have a few that are consistently difficult, even though they are healthy, vigorous plants. I think I need to do some experiments with different rooting mediums like the bark fines or coir or perlite. Am also considering using a liquid sanitizer. Has anyone fed cuttings while they are rooting? I figure it might give some a boost since they do take up water. Someone told me recently that they have good luck rooting hard to root ones in February. I also think I should do an experiment to compare a frequently watered cutting with a more neglected cutting. Could be I water too much for some.

I wanted to note that I am trying sand for the first time. Hubby had some dropped off so I could fill in my sod. (naturally I had to pot some up to try!) Fingers crossed! I had a problem with watering too much. I did learn to back off and I am seeing a huge difference.

The easiest way to root roses is in water. once they start rooting transfer to soil. I've always had 100% success rate that way.

erasmus_gw, I use Superthrive Plant vitamin solution to mist my cuttings. I just use a dollar store spray bottle. I have great success, but can't really say if this is the reason! lol My cuttings are uncovered, just sitting in the yard, in dappled light.

Luciano--that sounds too easy to be true...you say it's the easiest way -- have you actually produced plants from your cuttings?? If so, will give it a try myself. Thanks.

Yes it is very easy try it and you will see. just make sure you get cuttings about 7 to 10 inches long with one or two inter-nodes under water, leave two thirds of the cutting above water. I use two litter soda bottles. place them where they get indirect sunlight. once you notice the roots coming out plant in a pot with potting soil and water well for a few weeks until t settles the roots in an are with no direct sunlight. during winter time you can move to full sunlight, and then treat like any other rose plant.

Wow. Definitely going to give it a try. I wish I had known roses were adaptable to such treatment. When I dug up and moved my beautiful Touch of Class and Europeana from my last home to my new one, they did not make it the move. If I did what you suggest, sounds like I would still have them. Great input. Thanks very much.

Good thing I started this. Lot of good advice.

Update on my sand....very slow. The cuttings look great, but I think the bark is so much faster. I believe it is more light and airy...loose..

Another technique you might consider is air layering. I've heard it can be useful for finicky rooters.

laiquatan, I have not tried air layering, but will have to read up on it and give it a go!! I get so excited when my babies root...just a good feeling!

Omg, Kelly. That is amazing! I'm going to try that. I wonder if it's too late in the season?

I am not sure. You could always try, and if the roots aren't real developed, remove the plastic and foil, leave it attached and bury it under a foot of soil. Leave it through the winter.....

Is the parent plant water stressed? After years of trial and error, I was frustrated with how a certain rose would sometimes be easy to root and at other times all the cuttings from the same plant failed. once I fixed the watering system and got it growing strongly again, it was easy to root cuttings again. It could be part of why you have been successful before, but not with this one. Also take cuttings just when the flower is fading, the stem just below the flower. And yes, some varieties are harder to root than others. Dip 'n Grow and perlite seem to work best for me.

Kelly, is there a particular site's instruction you used or just a general search? Please don't spend your time with instructions, but I'd like to duplicate your method since you got such great results. I was considering some of those air propagator thingies, but I already have tinfoil and saran wrap.

I used coconut coir but you can also use peat. I just did a general search. First remove the thorns around the area or they can snag the plastic. I took a razor and cut all the way around a section of a healthy branch and then again about an inch down from the first cut, all the way around. Then I did a straight cut connecting the two cuts so I could peel the bark off of that section. You have to be carful, as if you cut too deep or just are too rough, the branch will break. I think I lost two or three this way. Then I "painted" on some powder rooting hormone and used twisties to secure the plastic around the base of the cut. Put dampened coco coir around it then wrapped the plastic up and secured other end with twisties. I tried using tape but much prefer the twisties or small pieces of wire. Then cover with foil and wait. It seems like the smaller branches rooted much quicker, but it could be variety. It took a good 2 + months..I am hoping the roots will be able to sustain the plants, but this method has worked so much better than trying to root cuttings for me.

Hi I have 8 grow lights and most of my rose stems are in water The leaves are growing but No roots how long will it take to get the roots ? I have baby stems and also tried a big rose cane I hope something will happen I have 3 people giving me stems to try and make double so we can do a exchange

sometimes within a month an other times, they take 3 to six months, depends on time of year. Don't give up, bring them inside by a window if it gets too cold.

Kelly, how did those rootings take?

They actually took very well. I had the best luck with the smaller sized ones as they had less to support. The issue I am finding is keeping them alive through the winter inside my dry house. I tried to bring them inside for the winter when I should have left them in my garage to go dormant.... I will definitely be trying again this year, as early in the season as possible!!

Kelly, I so glad to hear from you! You've been missed! I think one of your cuttings took, btw! I'll see come spring. I thought they had all died, but I have one NOID and the leaves have that particular look to them and it's low-thorn. I keep my rooted cuttings in a cold room near big windows with a florescent light that comes on at dusk until maybe midnight. Last year and this year they are doing well. Perhaps you could put them in a large plastic bag (not touching) and leave it open just to conserve some humidity. for me the main thing has been light.

I am going to try this come Spring. When would you suggest starting?

Well thank you. I graduated in Dec, went right back to school in Jan and am starting a new job in Feb so its been busy!! I am in a different climate than you, but I believe a good time is whenever they are actively growing and temps consistently stay above freezing. For me that's around early to mid May....hope your cutting makes it! It is so fun when you find them and they end up blooming. I have several that I stuck in my veggie garden before the snow just for the heck of it; it will be interesting to see if any of them made it!! Feb and March are when winter really gets long for us as we get lots of snow...

Hi Kelly! Just wondering how your cuttings that you struck in the winter veggie garden fared? I think I may try that this year. I finally had really good luck with cuttings so I'd like to try some different things for the winter. My winter cuttings last year were an abject failure.

Last year I wrote about a rose I tried rooting without success. it's not my rose. The owner told me she also tried to root it and failed. I'm thinking of taking a cutting and putting it in the ground this time. I've seen others do it and it seems it worked. This particular rose is an old variety, very vigorous, beautiful colour and very pleasant scent. I mean there must be a way to increase this plant to more than one lonely plant! It also has very long branches. it appears it does not get black spot. At least, in the time I've known this plant, haven't seen it. I'm also concerned that the woman who is looking after it, doesn't know much about maintaining the rose. I used to put fertilizer on it at one time or another.

I really hope you succeed, yugoslava! That sounds like a wonderful rose. Putting the cutting in the ground worked for me.