Key Points
Propagating roses from cuttings in late spring or early summer lets you easily grow more blooms for your garden.Choose semi-hardwood stems, dip them in rooting hormone, and plant them in moist soil to help roots form quickly.Gradually move new plants into brighter light and fertilize to build strong roots.
Roses have inspired gardeners and poets for centuries, so it’s only natural that you want more of them in your yard. Fortunately, it’s easy to propagate roses and create a sea of beautiful blooms.
Across the board, experts recommend propagating from cuttings, rather than by division or seed—and do so in late spring or early summer. Here, we spoke to these connoisseurs about all the necessary steps.
Jan Johnsen, landscape designer and co-principal at Johnsen Landscapes & Pools and author of Gardentopia—Design Basics for Creating Beautiful Outdoor Spaces
Eva Monheim, ISA-certified arborist and author of Shrubs & Hedges
How to Propagate
Taking stem cuttings is a very straightforward process. Eva Monheim, an ISA-certified arborist and author, recalls being taught by her grandmother how to propagate a rose as a child—she used a jar to create a miniature greenhouse. She describes the steps as follows:
Make sure that the rose variety isn’t under patent. It’s illegal to propagate roses from patented varieties.
Find stems with spent roses on them. They will be bendable and not very woody.
Cut the stems that are 10 to 12 inches long and remove the spent roses to just above the first leaf set with five leaflets.
Clean off the bottom portion of the stem halfway up by removing the leaves and thorns.
Dip the stem into water and then dip the tip of the stem base into rooting hormone, shaking off the excess. (Make sure not to dip the stem into the jar, but rather, put the rooting hormone into a paper cup and then dip the stem.)
Using a pencil, make a hole in your potting soil so the rose is planted halfway up the stem.
Repeat this process by putting four cuttings into the pot.
Water the cuttings and set them in a protected area in the garden out of direct sunlight.
You can cover them over with a clear plastic bag and fasten the bag into the soil, making sure there is enough room above the cuttings. Leave these pots out in the garden over the winter, and by spring, they will be rooted.
A 2-gallon container will ensure that the rose cuttings are protected from frost damage during the winter.
Care Instructions
Newly propagated roses can be somewhat delicate, so it’s important to give them extra care during the establishment period. Here’s what the experts say.
Harden Off Carefully
It’s wise to take things slow when dealing with freshly propagated roses.
“Once your cuttings have rooted, they’re delicate little plants that need gradual hardening to grow into strong, blooming roses,” says Jan Johnsen, landscape designer and co-principal of Johnson Landscapes & Pools.
When the cutting has a few inches of healthy white roots, Johnsen suggests moving it to a larger pot (about 6 to 8 inches wide) or a well-prepared garden bed with evenly moist, but not soggy, soil.
“The key is to adapt them to outdoor conditions little by little,” she says. “Keep them in bright, indirect light—the best is morning sun—for the first week after transplanting. Avoid harsh afternoon sunlight until they’re clearly growing new leaves.”
Transplant Gently
If you decide to leave your newly propagated roses in a container over winter, then you’ll want to think about transplanting them into garden beds in the spring. Do this before they begin to sprout new growth.
“After the holes are dug, overturn the pot that has your rose cuttings,” says Monheim. “Carefully examine the root systems and separate each rose.” She recommends placing the plants into new holes that are no deeper than the soil height in the pot.
“Once you have slightly pressed down the soil around the new plants, water them with a liquid fertilizer. If the soil settles, then you can add more around the base,” she says.
Fertilize on Schedule
After about 4 to 6 weeks, Johnsen recommends lightly feeding your roses.
“Use a balanced liquid fertilizer diluted to half strength every 2 to 3 weeks,” she says. Monheim likes to add a little dehydrated cow manure and compost around the base of the rose after the first growing season.
“This will help the plants to establish a greater root system for the following year. You can also use other organic products, like Rose Tone,” Monheim adds.
Delay the Blooms
“Pinch off early flower buds for the first 1 to 2 months to encourage the plant to put energy into root and leaf growth, not blooming,” says Johnsen. “Once the plant is bushy and well-rooted, you can allow it to flower.”
Common Mistakes
It’s easy to make mistakes in gardening, and propagating roses is no exception. Here’s how you can avoid these common pitfalls.
Keep an eye on the soil line: When placing your stem cuttings in soil, make sure that there are no leaves or thorns below the soil line. “The leaves will rot if not removed,” says Monheim.
Choose the right stems: When taking cuttings, not just any stem will do. “Make sure to choose semi-hardwood stems,” says Johnsen. “Use ones that have just bloomed and are firm, but not too hard. Don’t use soft, green stems.”
Plan ahead: If you’re doing cuttings in a pot rather than planting directly in the soil, then Monheim advises taking several cuttings. “Just in case the winter is very cold and one or two of the stems die off from frost damage,” she says.
Don’t skip rooting hormone: “Another important tip is to use rooting hormone powder or gel,” says Johnsen. “It can speed up rooting and can double your success rate.”
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