Friday, July 13, 2012

Rooting Roses Update

It's been a while since I have given you an update on the cuttings that I have been rooting in the window of my basement workshop. Most of them are doing really well.




I told you about going to Florida last month for my uncle's funeral. I brought home three cuttings of my Aunt Vicki's rose, Louis Philippe. All three of those cuttings rooted. I was fairly certain they would ... China roses root pretty easily. (I also took cuttings of a lovely pink Bougainvillea, some of which have also already rooted.)




Yesterday, I potted Aunt Vicki's cuttings into individual pots. Look at these lovely little root balls! (Notice how some of the roots are coming from the slits in the stem ... This is why the slits are there.)




The cuttings that I rustled in May from the huge Noisette at the abandoned house in Spotsylvania have done pretty well. Out of about a dozen cuttings, I have two that produced roots. One of these is stronger than the other, so I have great hope for getting at least one plant from this.




I have cuttings from a large 'Shailer's Provence' in downtown Fredericksburg. Three of the five cuttings produced roots, and these are now in individual pots, too.




A garden friend shared cuttings of his 'Green Rose' ... which he has had in his garden for 40 years ... and he got as a cutting from a friend's garden. Six of eight cuttings rooted, two of these plants died, but the remaining four plants are doing great.

My only total failure so far this year has been a big one. The one rooted cutting of Mrs. Sharpley's red rose didn't survive. It produced a nice crop of roots, and I had every hope that it would grow into a healthy plant ... but it never grew shoots or leaves and the little stem turned brown and died. I hope I get another chance to help save her rose.

All of this potting is in preparation for our upcoming trip ... two weeks in Alaska. The baby roses will stay with my parents while we are gone, so our daughter doesn't have to worry about forgetting to water them.

I will leave you with a picture of Aunt Vicki's rose ... already growing new shoots!




Now I have to go finish packing. (This is another iPad post ... I'm getting better at this!)



11 comments:

  1. Good Job Connie, happy packing, can't wait to see your pics of Alaska!

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  2. It's a great method of rooting. I took a page from your last entry about it and started a broken cane from a windstorm in my basement window...two weeks and stem and leaves are still green!

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  3. Alaska will be a great way to escape the heat. Can't wait for the photos!

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  4. Well, you had more successes than failures and that is a good thing. I do hope you are able to get a start again of the one that died. Have fun on vacation. xo Diana

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  5. You clearly need to get a couple of cuttings from Mrs. Sharpley's rose. You success with the other cuttings warrant this, I think!

    And it's rare to see a blog post with absolutely no flowers at all that makes me so giddy; I'm very excited about this, and I have a few cuttings myself that I am crossing my fingers for. (Word from the wise: Gardening with crossed fingers becomes very awkward, especially weeding.)

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  6. Great job with all the cuttings taking root. And yes your Ipad posts are just fine. I know you are excited about your trip!! hugs, Linda

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  7. You've had really good success! Fantastic! Too bad about Mrs. Sharpley's though. I hope you have a lovely time in Alaska and post pics.

    Cindy at Rosehaven Cottage

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  8. Wow. I never knew rooting takes a lot of time and effort. I've learned a lot from you. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to use this someday. Thank you so much.

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  9. Hi Connie, you are giving me hope to attempt rooting roses...my Mom did and seemed to have great success too! Enjoy your trip to Alaska, every one I know who has gone, loved it! I am very curious about your attempts to blog with your i Pad....What app are you using? I am very frustrated right now with Picasa and Blogger and am about to tear my hair out with issues I can't seem to resolve. I Enjoy your Blog very much...N.xo

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  10. Can you put more then one rose stem in the same pot for rooting?

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  11. You can absolutely put more than one cutting into the pot ... usually three or four, as long as they aren't crowded. How many you put in depends on the size of our cuttings. If any of the cuttings die (you can tell they're dead if they turn black) carefully pull the dead cuttings without disturbing the live ones.

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