Rose cutting technique: a hands-on guide to propagating plants

When we usually sit in a car, we can often see all kinds of plants planted on both sides of the road, and one of them is very eye-catching. Its flowers are very large, and the colors are also very brilliant; some even have two or three colors on a single flower at the same time. It is the rose. Speaking of this plant, friends should have seen it often, because it is planted in a very wide range in our country, and even in remote border areas, its figure can be seen.

Why are there so many of this plant? The reason is that its propagation is relatively simple. Whether using seeds or directly using branches, a large patch can be grown. So, how can its branches be used for propagation?

1. Choose robust branches

If you want its survival rate to be higher, you must first select robust branches. Branches with incomplete leaves, leaves that are not green and fresh, or wounds on the stems cannot be used, otherwise their stems will easily turn black.

2. Disinfect scissors and other tools and cut the branches

First take out the tools, then soak them in hot water or baijiu for about two quarter-hours, then take them out and let them dry. Use the tools to cut off the previously selected branches. Note that the cut should be made at a slant, otherwise the stems are easily damaged.

3. Cutting

Insert the cut branches obliquely into the soil, and when mixing the soil, add a little more peat. In addition, it is also possible to insert them directly into water, but this makes them prone to rot. However, no matter which method is used, one point must be ensured, that is, there must be enough water. Even when using soil, a basin should be placed under the container and filled with clean water.

In short, cutting is not considered very difficult, and friends can also try it themselves.

Rose cutting seedling-raising technique

 Rose is a plant of the genus Rosa in the family Rosaceae and is a major product of the world flower industry. Rose 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 cutting, 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, with fast propagation speed and a high survival rate.

 1. Cutting time

 It can be carried out in both spring and autumn. In spring, from late April to the end of May, the climate is mild at this time, the branches have strong vitality, and roots can form 1 month after cutting, with a high survival rate. Autumn cutting is carried out from late August to the end of October. At this time, cutting is greatly affected by the diurnal temperature difference, rooting is relatively slow, and it takes 40-50d to root, with a survival rate slightly lower than spring cutting.

 2. Prepare the seedbed

 Location: the cutting seedbed should be chosen in a place with deep soil, loose structure, good permeability, good drainage and air circulation.

 Specifications: 1m wide and 3m long (it should be noted that 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.)

 3. Substrate selection

 Rose cuttings can also root when inserted directly into ordinary soil, but the survival rate is not high and it is not suitable for large-scale production. Therefore, fine sand is generally selected as the substrate, and it is best to use unused fine sand. In order to prevent the cuttings from rotting during rooting, formaldehyde can be added to the fine sand at 5ml/m3, and the fine sand should be spread on clean ground to sun and turned about 3 times, allowing the formaldehyde to fully volatilize. After 3-5d, the bed can be filled. When filling with fine sand, it should be evenly spread on the seedbed, gently compacted, and watered once thoroughly. While the water is not yet dry, gently scrape the sand surface level with a wooden block.

 4. Harvest branches

 Select vigorous upper-year healthy branches from plants with strong growth and no pests or diseases (powdery mildew and black spot). Branches that are too old or too tender are both bad and affect the survival rate. Branches whose flowers have just faded are best. After cutting the branches, in order to prevent powdery mildew and sooty mold during cutting, spray 75% chlorothalonil wettable powder 1000x solution.

 5. Cutting treatment

 When too many branches are harvested, they should be soaked in water or piled under a shade shed (they should be frequently sprayed with water to keep moist).

 Prune the harvested branches. First cut off the remaining flowers on the upper part of the branches, select the middle and lower parts of the branches, and cut them into sections of about 10cm each as 1 cutting, retaining 3-4 axillary buds on each. Do not retain leaves, or retain only 1-2 leaves at the top, to prevent the loss of water and nutrients in the cuttings, so as to facilitate rooting and control the growth of branches and leaves. The upper end of the cutting should be cut flat and the lower end cut at a slant, with the cut about several millimeters from the axillary bud. The cut should be smooth so as to form callus tissue and facilitate rooting. It must not be split-cut, otherwise it will be difficult to root and form seedlings. The collected branches should be cut as soon as possible, generally finished within 1-2h.

 6. Cutting method

 As far as possible, cut, treat and insert the branches immediately. When cutting, do not damage the bark. Generally, first use a small wooden stick 0.6-0.8cm (chopstick size) to poke a small hole in the cutting bed, then place the cutting into the hole. The cutting depth is 1/3 of the length of the cutting, and the plant-row spacing is 10cm x 15cm. After inserting, gently compact the sand with your hands. When cutting, pay attention to maintaining the polarity of the cuttings, especially those without leaves, and do not insert them upside down (make the bud eyes point upward), otherwise the survival rate will be affected. For those with leaves, it is best to make the leaves face one direction (the bright direction). After all are inserted, scatter a small amount of fine sand and water once thoroughly so that the cuttings and sand body are closely combined.

 Build an arched shed, cover with white plastic film and a shade net. The plastic shed can regulate the temperature and humidity of the soil and air, and the shade net can prevent direct sunlight and lower the temperature. In addition to covering the top of the seedbed with a shade net, curtains should also be hung on the east and west sides of the seedbed to block light, so as to reduce morning and evening sunlight exposure. The optimal temperature for rose rooting is 20-25°C. If the temperature is too high, in addition to covering with a shade net, watering can also be used to cool down and ventilation can be used to lower the temperature.

 7. Management after cutting

 Temperature: after cutting, it should not be too high. If too high, the axillary buds of the cuttings will quickly sprout and grow into tender branches. Inexperienced growers may think this is a good phenomenon, but in fact this is a sign of cutting failure, because the cuttings need to root. If new branches sprout first, this consumes the nutrients of the branches, lightly affecting the rooting rate and severely causing the death of the entire cutting seedling. Therefore, in order to promote rooting, the temperature should be reduced as much as possible, generally controlled at 22-26°C, and the air temperature and ground temperature should be kept as close as possible. When the temperature is too high, water can be applied on the shed or on the ground, and proper ventilation can also be used to cool down.

 Watering: in the early stage of cutting, water supply should not be too much, and generally watering once every 7-10d is enough. After 1 month, the cuttings begin to root and sprout, and water consumption gradually increases, so they should be watered once every 3-5d. The amount of watering should be determined according to soil moisture and air humidity, so that the soil is moderately dry and wet. The best moisture conditions after cutting are: the field water-holding capacity of the seedbed should be maintained at about 80%, and the relative air humidity at 80%-90%. If humidity is too high, control the amount of watering and strengthen ventilation; if humidity is too low, increase the amount of watering and the number of sprayings.

 Weeding: promptly pull out weeds in the cutting bed, but do not disturb the seedlings.

 8. Transplanting small seedlings

 Under the condition of an ambient temperature of 22-26°C, the cuttings can root after about 1 month. At this time, the plastic film can be opened every morning and evening to ventilate the small seedlings, gradually extending their ventilation and light time, so that the small seedlings basically adapt to the external environmental conditions. After 7-10d in this way, the small seedlings can be transplanted into a greenhouse or flowerpot. The soil used for transplanting should be sandy loam without fertilizer seepage, otherwise it is easy to cause root rot of the small seedlings. Water thoroughly once 1d before transplanting. Note that the entire transplanting process must not be exposed to direct sunlight.

 9. Seedling-stage management

 Potted rose seedlings should be maintained in a shade shed or other shady place for 7-10 days. During this period, they should be frequently sprayed with water to keep moist. In the first few days, they should receive some sunlight in the morning and evening, and then the sunlight exposure time should gradually be extended. Since the root system of the small seedlings is not very developed, do not rush to fertilize. At least after 3 weeks, apply thin fertilizer water about once every 10 days. Although rose seedlings survive, some growers always think the seedlings grow too slowly and, according to their own wishes, force the seedlings with topdressing. This practice must not be adopted, because rose seedlings go through a 1-2 month stagnation period from branch collection, cutting, rooting and transplanting to entering the rapid growth stage. During this period, rose seedlings must gradually adapt to the external environment before they can grow rapidly. If growers rely on fertilizing to force the seedlings according to their own wishes, things often turn out contrary to expectations, resulting in the death of the seedlings. After the stagnation period, rose seedlings naturally enter the rapid growth stage. At this time, some plants will grow some flower buds. In order to avoid consuming nutrients, these flower buds should be cut off in time. After 1-2 [cycles] of management, rose seedlings can leave the nursery. At this time, growers can transport them to the market for sale or transplant them to the field or larger flowerpots as needed.

Rose cutting propagation technique