How to Cut the Roots of Roses So They Grow

by Julie Richards, Demand Media


Roses are generally propagated through grafts and cuttings. You can grow a rose bush from a piece of a stem, known as a stem cutting. Or you can grow a bush from a section of the existing root system, known as a root cutting. The cutting makes an exact clone of the parent plant. If your rose bush is one variety grafted onto another variety, the root cutting will produce a rose bush that may be very different from the one growing in your garden.

1. Remove the soil covering the root ball of the rose bush with care using a spade. Brush the root ball with your gloved hand to remove the debris and dirt from the roots. It is not necessary to dig up the entire shrub to gather two or three root cuttings.

2

Choose a root that is the thickness of a pencil or slightly thicker. Make a straight cut at the top of the root, or the proximal end. Cut the bottom, or distal end, at an angle. You can easily identify one end from the other with these two cuts.

3

Fill a growing container with potting soil and water the soil well. Allow the container to drain so the soil is not saturated when you plant the cuttings. Make a shallow trench in the soil and lay the cutting horizontally in the trench.

4

Cover the root cutting with about an inch of soil and water slightly. Cover the growing container with a piece of plastic film or slip the container into a clear bag. Mark the container with the name of the rose cultivar. Set the container in a warm, bright location.

5

Check the soil every two or three days for moisture. Do not allow the soil to dry out. A root cutting will die in dry soil. After about four to six weeks, check for any sprouts that may be growing. Take off the plastic if there are sprouts.

6

Grow the new rose plant in the container for the remainder of the year, if possible. You may need to transplant it into another container before spring. Keep the rose watered and free from drafts. Fertilize with a general-purpose houseplant fertilizer at half strength until you transplant the shrub outdoors.

Things You Will Need

• Spade
• Garden gloves
• Pruning shears
• Growing container
• Quality potting mix
• Permanent marker
• Clear plastic film

Tip

• Rose bush root cuttings are taken when the bush is dormant or as close to the dormant season as possible.

Warning

• It is important to know the polarity of a cutting when working with plants. If you try to root a stem cutting upside down, it will most likely rot. Very large root cuttings are placed vertically in the soil and can suffer damage when planted the wrong way.

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/