Rose Winter Cutting Methods and Technical Key Points
From mid-October to early November, in conjunction with winter pruning of roses, select branches with evenly spaced internodes and plump dormant buds, remove the leaves, and cut them into 10 cm long cuttings (about 3 nodes), with the upper end cut flat and sealed with paint, and the lower end cut at an angle for later use.
2. Preparation of seedbed and nutrient bags
Choose a plot that is sheltered from the wind, faces the sun, has flat terrain, and loose soil, and make a seedbed 1 m wide, 5-6 m long, and 20-30 cm deep. Mix fully decomposed nutrient soil and fine sandy soil in equal halves to make moist nutrient soil, disinfect it with zinc sulfur phosphorus and carbendazim, and then put it into nutrient bags for later use; alternatively, it can be spread directly on the seedbed without using nutrient bags.
3. Cutting
When cutting, place the nutrient bags one by one on the seedbed. Make holes with a wooden stick or chopsticks, then insert the cuttings, deep 1/2-2/3, and press firm. Note: do not insert upside down; the thorns should face down and the buds should face up. Water while inserting, and after inserting, water thoroughly. Then, prop up wooden sticks on the seedbed, cover with plastic film, and press the surrounding edges down with soil.
4. Post-cutting management
4.1 If the weather is clear and the temperature is relatively high after cutting, open the film at both ends of the seedbed at noon to ventilate. Otherwise, sunscald is likely to occur, and large numbers may die in early spring. In mid-November, seal the film tightly.
4.2 Watering and film removal: After watering thoroughly at the time of cutting, do not water again afterward. If the soil surface turns white, water lightly as appropriate.
After the beginning of winter, a frozen layer forms underground, and the seedlings do not lack water. At Yushui and Jingzhe, observe the seedbed temperature. When it is above 20°C, ventilate promptly, otherwise the seedlings are very likely to be scorched. Remove the film gradually as the seedlings unfold leaves.
4.3 Pest control: From late March to early April, when the cutting buds are about 1 cm long, they are prone to aphid damage, so attention should be paid to aphid control. Fumigation with 80% dichlorvos can be used, that is, place five cotton balls with pesticide about 0.6 cm in diameter per 2 sq m, and remove them after 2 hours. Observe after 1 week, and place them again if there are still insects. At this time, special attention should be paid to pests, otherwise the harm to the seedlings is extremely great.
5. Precautions
For winter cuttings, cold seedlings fear heat, so after spring begins they should no longer be placed in a greenhouse. In April-May, pot them or plant them in the ground, and carry out normal maintenance.