Putting Down Roots ... In the Greenhouse

The best way I know for a gardener to survive the cold and wind of winter is to spend as much time as possible working in the greenhouse.  On a sunny day, the temperature inside the greenhouse is reliably at least 40 degrees above the outside air temperature.  (Welcome to the Tropics!!) 

The roses on my propagation table are developing roots (finally!), and it's time to pot many of them into larger pots.

Darlow's Enigma

All of these cuttings were planted during the latter part of October.  Almost all of my summer cuttings, planted at the usual time in June and early July, turned brown and died.  Without rooted cuttings, there are no roses for sale next year.

Etoile de Mai

Summer last year was hot and catastrophically dry.  This made for miserable conditions for the roses in my garden (where the cuttings come from) and the cuttings taken at this time didn't stand a chance of producing roots.

Zephirine Drouhin

Even roses that root readily and reliably for me at other times (Mutabilis and Alberic Barbier come to mind) failed to root.  I estimate that I lost at least 2000 cuttings last summer.  What an inventory this would have been!

Quietness

In October, as the weather cooled and we received some blessed rain, and the fall flush of bloom waned, I took cuttings from every rose I could ... hoping to salvage some sort of success for next year.

Saint Cecelia

As you can see from the healthy roots on the cuttings in all of these photos, things aren't as dire as I feared they might be.  I am seeing roots on a much higher percentage of my cuttings, and I am cautiously optimistic about next year.  I may not have as many roses available as I wanted to, but the ones I will have should be really nice ones.

Young Lycidas

If you're in the neighborhood, and you want to escape from the cold and hang out with me in the greenhouse, wear grubby clothes because I'll put you to work.