Detailed guide to air layering propagation for roses, all the operation steps are here

  Roses come in a vast number of varieties and bloom all year round, with extremely rich colors: red as if painted with vermilion, white like plain jade, yellow like brocade, purple like gems, with vivid colors and dazzling variety, unmatched by many other flowers.

  Among rose propagation methods, air layering is one of the commonly used methods. In the past, air layering always looked rather unsightly, with a packet of soil wrapped around the rose stem. Some inventive gardening enthusiasts came up with the idea of using a coffee cup (a disposable cup can also be used instead) for air layering. The biggest advantage of this method is not only that it looks nice, but that after rooting, you can directly take a small pot and move it down.

  I will not list the tools and specific methods here; it is simply about cutting an opening in the side of the cup and making a hole in the bottom, as shown in the picture below:

  Then find the stem segment you want to air layer. It is best if it is not the only main stem of a rose, so as not to affect the growth of the plant. But it should be thick and strong enough, otherwise there is no difference from a small cutting-propagated seedling, since what you want from air layering is a strong seedling. Cut off the spent flowers above, and use a knife to scrape off 2~3cm of bark from the stem segment. You must scrape the green cortex clean, exposing the white xylem. The upper and lower cuts should be as flat as possible. The thorns above and below can be broken off to avoid interfering with the operation. The bud at the lower cut should be scraped off with a knife to prevent it from sprouting.

  Put the prepared paper cup over the stem, and seal the cut with tape. Carefully fill in clean medium (optional media: peat, sphagnum moss, sawdust, nutrient soil, etc.; garden soil is not recommended). The area around the cup can also be reinforced with a loop of tape or nylon rope. Cover the surface of the medium with a moistened napkin (to prevent rain from washing away the medium). Later you can replace the napkin several times. Water the cup thoroughly until water leaks from the bottom hole.

  In later care, whenever the paper towel dries out, water it once, thoroughly. After about 35 days to 45 days, cut off the air layering packet and move it into a small pot to continue growing.

  In summer, rose cuttings are difficult to keep alive, so you might as well try this air layering method for roses. Generally, roots can form in 2 weeks. The first time I air layered about 10 of them, and the transplant survival rate was 100 percent. The drawback is that it is troublesome to do and difficult to do in large batches. However, one mother plant can propagate 1-4 plants, and once rooted they are directly large seedlings! The following are the key operation points:

  1. First prepare a utility knife, sphagnum moss or coconut coir (experiments have shown that sphagnum moss roots fastest), a small plastic bag, and disinfecting alcohol or potassium permanganate (I generally do not use it);

  2. Choose the girdling position on the mother plant, 1CM below a bud (note that you need a relatively hard, woody branch; thin, soft, tender branches are not suitable)

  3. The girdling area should be 1-1.5CM, and note that you must scrape off the woody layer; this is an important factor affecting rooting;

  4. Use sphagnum moss and a plastic bag to wrap the girdled area, keep it loose and do not wrap it too tightly. After it heals in a week, inject water, and add water later whenever it dries out.

  5. After one month, it can be cut off and transplanted. You can plant it directly with the sphagnum moss!