Key Techniques for Summer Softwood Cutting Propagation of Purple-Branch Rose
Purple-branch rose cuttings can be divided by time into summer cuttings and winter cuttings; by the maturity of the branches, they are divided into softwood cuttings and hardwood cuttings. Softwood cuttings are mostly used in summer, and hardwood cuttings in winter. Of course, hardwood cuttings can also be done in spring and autumn, but they are mostly not adopted. Because in spring the branches serve the task of flowering, and after cutting...
Purple-branch rose cuttings can be divided by time into summer cuttings and winter cuttings; by the maturity of the branches, they are divided into softwood cuttings and hardwood cuttings. Softwood cuttings are mostly used in summer, and hardwood cuttings in winter. Of course, hardwood cuttings can also be done in spring and autumn, but they are mostly not adopted. Because in spring the branches serve the task of flowering, and cutting them affects the flower yield and ornamental value, while the growth of autumn cuttings the following year is almost the same as that of cuttings made in winter in a greenhouse, but autumn cuttings require several more months of management, which is both time-consuming and labor-intensive, and also occupies the land for several more months.
In summer, the full-light mist method is mostly used for softwood cutting propagation. The cutting time is mostly from mid-June to mid-August, specifically depending on the growth status of the seedlings in the local area. In our area, it is mostly done in mid-to-late July.
The first step is building the seedbed. The seedbed should be chosen in a place that is well ventilated, free of obstruction by buildings, and convenient for connecting water and electricity. The size of the seedbed depends on the number of seedlings to be propagated. The width is mostly about 1.5 m, and the length can be decided according to circumstances. First, lay a layer of bricks flat on the ground, and build the surrounding wall 3 or 4 brick layers high. For the substrate, vermiculite or river sand can be used. Disinfect the substrate about 10 days before cutting, using a 0.3% potassium permanganate solution. Spread the substrate flat on the cutting bed to a thickness of about 30 cm. Install nozzles; the number of nozzles depends on the water pressure. This is the key to the technique. Because full-light mist cutting propagation means that when propagating in the open air, timed watering is used to keep the substrate moist. The mist sprayed from the installed nozzles must cover the entire seedbed, with no dead corners. If propagating on a small scale, cuttings can be made in nutrient pots.
The second step is selecting and inserting the cuttings. The cuttings should be cut from the upper middle and outer parts of the rose bush, taking the top shoots of current-year semi-lignified vegetative branches, then cutting them into 10-15 cm long cuttings, with the lower end cut at a slant and the upper end cut flat. Keep one or two pairs of secondary leaves on the upper half, and remove all leaves from the lower half. After cutting, immediately place them in a basin of water to prevent water loss and wilting (Figure 1). If cutting during the flowering period, it is best to choose vegetative branches without buds or flowers. After the cuttings are prepared, insert them into the substrate the same day; do not leave them overnight. The depth is 2-3 cm; too shallow makes them prone to lodging, too deep makes them prone to mold and rot. The density is about 600 plants per sq m; too dense is poorly ventilated and affects growth, while too sparse wastes space.
The third step is maintenance and management. Spray water immediately after insertion to replenish leaf moisture and at the same time make the cuttings closely contact the seedbed. Afterward, adjust the watering and interval time at any time according to the weather temperature and the moisture status of the leaves and substrate. As long as there are water droplets on the leaves and no leaf wilting occurs, reduce the amount of watering as much as possible, so as to raise the ground temperature, which is beneficial to root growth and reduces disease occurrence. When the temperature exceeds 30°C, appropriately increase the number of water sprays. Some fertilizer can be added to the water to make a nutrient solution and sprayed at regular times. Also remove weeds in time to ensure the smooth rooting of the young seedlings. At around 20 days, the rooting rate can reach more than 85%. At 25-35 days, the young seedlings grow fibrous roots, and the root parts are thick and darken in color. At this time, gradually reduce the amount of watering, spraying water only at noon during high temperatures, to harden the seedlings. After 5-7 days, they can be transplanted.
The last step is transplanting. Choose a cloudy day or transplant in the morning or evening. Before transplanting, first water the seedbed thoroughly to make the bed surface soft, so as to avoid damaging the root system when lifting the seedlings. Dig out the young seedlings with an iron shovel, gently shake off the substrate, and when planting, the plant spacing is 10-15 cm and the row spacing is 30-40 cm. Water immediately after planting, then irrigate continuously 2-3 times. After the seedlings recover, weed and loosen the soil in time to ensure the rose seedlings grow vigorously.