How to propagate roses? The latest technical method tutorial

Roses are plants of the genus Rosa in the family Rosaceae. Propagation is divided into 2 types: asexual propagation and sexual propagation. Sexual propagation is mostly used for breeding new varieties or producing rootstock. Asexual propagation includes methods such as cuttings, division, layering and tissue culture. Cutting propagation can not only maintain the excellent characteristics of the mother plant, but is also simple and easy to learn, fast to propagate and high in survival rate. Now let us take a look at the rose cutting propagation technique!

Growth habits

Although roses are not strict about climate and soil, loose, fertile loam rich in organic matter, slightly acidic and well drained is more suitable. They like warm, sunny and airy environments. For most varieties, the optimum temperature is 15-26°C during the day and 10-15°C at night. When the winter temperature is below 5°C, they enter dormancy. Some varieties can tolerate low temperatures of -15°C and high temperatures of 35°C. When the summer temperature stays above 30°C, they enter semi-dormancy and the plants grow poorly. Although they can still form buds, the flowers are small, have few petals and are dull and lusterless in color, losing their ornamental value.

Cutting time

Rose cuttings can be taken in both spring and autumn. In spring, from late April to the end of May, the climate is mild and the branches are vigorous; after insertion they can root in 1 month, with a high survival rate. In autumn, cuttings are taken from late August to the end of October. At this time, cuttings are greatly affected by the difference between day and night temperatures, rooting is relatively slow, and it takes 40-50 days to root, with a survival rate slightly lower than that of spring cuttings.

Seedbed preparation

For rose cutting seedbeds, choose a place with deep soil, loose structure, good permeability, good drainage and air circulation. The seedbed is 1 m wide and 3 m long. The seedbed size has little effect on the survival of cuttings and should be determined according to need. When large-scale propagation is needed, a slightly larger one can be chosen; otherwise, reduce it.

Substrate selection

Rose cuttings inserted directly into ordinary soil can also root, but the survival rate is not high and it is not suitable for large-scale production. Therefore, fine sand is generally chosen as the substrate. It is best to use fine sand that has not been used before. To prevent the cuttings from rotting during rooting, formaldehyde can be added to the fine sand at 5 ml/cubic meter, and the fine sand should be spread out on clean ground to sun and turned about 3 times, allowing the formaldehyde to volatilize completely. After 3-5 days, the bed can be filled. When filling with fine sand, it should be spread evenly on the seedbed, gently pressed down, and watered once thoroughly. While the water has not dried, use a wooden block to gently scrape the sand surface level.