Propagating Roses
For years, I have touted the baggy method as a simple way to start rose softwood cuttings. It is an easy way to root one or two cuttings, but it requires daily attention, especially when opening the baggy to harden the newly rooted plants to the cruel world. Early in my use of that method, I found I had over 120 baggies on my deck to start roses for the San Jose Heritage Rose Garden! It took near an hour a day to keep the bags inflated and checked for roots! As Volunteer Director of the Heritage, I have had a continuing need to root cuttings for the garden from declining plants and from cuttings given to me. I do not have time to tend a lot of baggies anymore and I haven’t room for a greenhouse. I needed another way.
The other way came from my friend, Jill Perry of Santa Cruz, curator of the Heritage. She brought along her plastic bin full of rooting cuttings to the 2003 Heritage Rose Symposium at Ft. Bragg. She had gotten the idea from the Internet. I knew immediately that was my answer. I call this the Terrarium Method. Some advantages:
The other way came from my friend, Jill Perry of Santa Cruz, curator of the Heritage. She brought along her plastic bin full of rooting cuttings to the 2003 Heritage Rose Symposium at Ft. Bragg. She had gotten the idea from the Internet. I knew immediately that was my answer. I call this the Terrarium Method. Some advantages:
- You can leave it alone for days.
- It is easier to leave larger rooted cuttings to get more maturity before potting them up.
- The total package is more compact than a number of baggies.
- Rose 'rustlers' can take the terrarium along and stick cuttings as soon as cut.
The Terrarium
Clear translucent storage or file boxes with clear translucent lids come in many sizes and are found in many stores. Check your big box, drug chain or hardware store for good selections. Jill’s is a file box that takes letter sized files one way or legal sized files the other. Mine are larger. Smaller will do. Some have lock mechanisms. These actually get in the way. Be sure the boxes are at least 15” high. More is better. Here is one model.
Clear translucent storage or file boxes with clear translucent lids come in many sizes and are found in many stores. Check your big box, drug chain or hardware store for good selections. Jill’s is a file box that takes letter sized files one way or legal sized files the other. Mine are larger. Smaller will do. Some have lock mechanisms. These actually get in the way. Be sure the boxes are at least 15” high. More is better. Here is one model.
Location
Find a place that is very bright, but does not get direct midday sun. It is much easier to work with if you can put it on a box or table that raises. I have a wooden box turned sideways under it where I store tags, pencils, and tools. If you have a grow mat, you can put it under the terrarium.
Preparation
I use a mix of 1/2 good soilless potting mix (not seedling starter), 1/4 perlite and 1/4 peat moss that I blend in a 32g trash can. Pour about 5" of this potting mix into your terrarium to measure how much you'll need. Once you know how much to use, pour it all into a 5g bucket. Add water slowly and mix until completely damp and let it sit overnight. The purpose is to insure uniform dampness and to allow excess moisture to drain to the bottom of the bucket. The next day drain the excess water.
Scoop the mixture while squeezing water out and put it back into the terrarium until 4" deep. Drain and reserve the remaining mix as replacement fill as you remove rooted plants.
A major caution is being sure that no liquid water forms at the bottom of the terrarium. One solution is to drill several 1/2" holes in the bottom of the terrarium. I don’t do this because mine rests on heat mats. I just need to be very careful not to over mist.
Find a place that is very bright, but does not get direct midday sun. It is much easier to work with if you can put it on a box or table that raises. I have a wooden box turned sideways under it where I store tags, pencils, and tools. If you have a grow mat, you can put it under the terrarium.
Preparation
I use a mix of 1/2 good soilless potting mix (not seedling starter), 1/4 perlite and 1/4 peat moss that I blend in a 32g trash can. Pour about 5" of this potting mix into your terrarium to measure how much you'll need. Once you know how much to use, pour it all into a 5g bucket. Add water slowly and mix until completely damp and let it sit overnight. The purpose is to insure uniform dampness and to allow excess moisture to drain to the bottom of the bucket. The next day drain the excess water.
Scoop the mixture while squeezing water out and put it back into the terrarium until 4" deep. Drain and reserve the remaining mix as replacement fill as you remove rooted plants.
A major caution is being sure that no liquid water forms at the bottom of the terrarium. One solution is to drill several 1/2" holes in the bottom of the terrarium. I don’t do this because mine rests on heat mats. I just need to be very careful not to over mist.
Rooting Cuttings
I have used both hardwood cuttings in the winter and softwood cuttings year round. For softwood cuttings, prepare as shown on the ARS web site identified above. Also prepare a stick tag with the name, source and date.
Stick the cutting from one to three inches into the soil to bury two to three nodes. Place the tag next to it. Cuttings may be as close as three inches, just make sure they can be scooped out without disturbing neighbors.
I have used both hardwood cuttings in the winter and softwood cuttings year round. For softwood cuttings, prepare as shown on the ARS web site identified above. Also prepare a stick tag with the name, source and date.
Stick the cutting from one to three inches into the soil to bury two to three nodes. Place the tag next to it. Cuttings may be as close as three inches, just make sure they can be scooped out without disturbing neighbors.
Care
After I first stick a cutting I spray it lightly with a mixture of a level teaspoon of MiracleGro to a pint of water and a teaspoon of Volke Oil. From time to time, I spray lightly with Serenade™, an organic fungicide.
After I first stick a cutting I spray it lightly with a mixture of a level teaspoon of MiracleGro to a pint of water and a teaspoon of Volke Oil. From time to time, I spray lightly with Serenade™, an organic fungicide.
You can lightly mist every day. I use a pistol grip turret nozzle. However, don’t worry if you have to leave it for even a week without misting. There will be a little evaporation, but be very careful in replacing water. It is easily possible to get too much in. You want to see condensation on the terrarium lid.
Don’t let them bloom. Remove fallen leaves. Bamboo skewers are handy for this.
Don’t let them bloom. Remove fallen leaves. Bamboo skewers are handy for this.
Removal
Don’t be in a hurry to take your babies out and you won’t have a hardening problem. Don't let early top growth fool you into early potting. It is frequently at the expense of roots! Leave your cuttings in the Terrarium as long as you can; at least until new growth is pushing the terrarium lid. That will give them the maximum strength for surviving the transition to pots.
I first transfer the rooted cutting to a small container. I start with bands. Fill the container 1/2 full of damp potting soil. Use soil from the terrarium that is already moist. Scoop the plant out with about 2” – 3” of soil. You can use your hand or a scoop. Disturb the roots as little as possible. Lay the whole thing into the container and fill in with more soil from the terrarium. Water to settle the soil around the roots. Replace the soil in the terrarium with fresh potting soil.
Shove soil in the terrarium aside and return the containerized rose to the terrarium for a week or so to get it used to its new environment. I then bring it out to a shady spot to harden and replace the soil in the terrarium. Over a week or so, I move it slowly to direct sun.
After a few weeks, I usually transfer to a one-gallon or larger plastic container.
Problems
Jill and I both had very small gnats. These don’t seem to hurt, but I gave one light shot of insecticide and that was the end of them.
Green fungus will probably form. You can pick this off with your fingers, although I don’t believe it is a problem.
BOTRYTIS CAUTION
Botrytis is a fungus that is always present in the air. It infects rose cuttings by entering dead wood, usually at the top of a cutting. You can recognize it by the grey fuzz that spreads rapidly down the cutting’s foliage. If any of your cuttings are infected by botrytis, it can spread to all the cuttings and you will have to dump the terrarium contents, soil and all, sterilize with a chlorine solution and start over. Two things you can do:
I am still new to this as my terrariums have only been in operation for two years. I already have many varieties out and planted in the San Jose Heritage Rose Garden and all of my terrariums are usually near full.
I don’t see a need to change out the soil unless disease ruins a batch.
If I were you, I’d start with a small box, but don’t skimp on height!
Don’t be in a hurry to take your babies out and you won’t have a hardening problem. Don't let early top growth fool you into early potting. It is frequently at the expense of roots! Leave your cuttings in the Terrarium as long as you can; at least until new growth is pushing the terrarium lid. That will give them the maximum strength for surviving the transition to pots.
I first transfer the rooted cutting to a small container. I start with bands. Fill the container 1/2 full of damp potting soil. Use soil from the terrarium that is already moist. Scoop the plant out with about 2” – 3” of soil. You can use your hand or a scoop. Disturb the roots as little as possible. Lay the whole thing into the container and fill in with more soil from the terrarium. Water to settle the soil around the roots. Replace the soil in the terrarium with fresh potting soil.
Shove soil in the terrarium aside and return the containerized rose to the terrarium for a week or so to get it used to its new environment. I then bring it out to a shady spot to harden and replace the soil in the terrarium. Over a week or so, I move it slowly to direct sun.
After a few weeks, I usually transfer to a one-gallon or larger plastic container.
Problems
Jill and I both had very small gnats. These don’t seem to hurt, but I gave one light shot of insecticide and that was the end of them.
Green fungus will probably form. You can pick this off with your fingers, although I don’t believe it is a problem.
BOTRYTIS CAUTION
Botrytis is a fungus that is always present in the air. It infects rose cuttings by entering dead wood, usually at the top of a cutting. You can recognize it by the grey fuzz that spreads rapidly down the cutting’s foliage. If any of your cuttings are infected by botrytis, it can spread to all the cuttings and you will have to dump the terrarium contents, soil and all, sterilize with a chlorine solution and start over. Two things you can do:
- Do not leave stubs at the top of your cuttings, which can die back. Trim to ¼” above the top budeye.
- If you see botrytis on a cutting, remove it immediately by surrounding the cutting with a tissue under the infected area. Wrap the tissue around the infected area so as to prevent the spores from spreading and remove and destroy the cutting. Do not try cutting off the infected area in an attempt to save the cutting. It doesn’t work and the spores will disperse in the air and spread the infection.
I am still new to this as my terrariums have only been in operation for two years. I already have many varieties out and planted in the San Jose Heritage Rose Garden and all of my terrariums are usually near full.
I don’t see a need to change out the soil unless disease ruins a batch.
If I were you, I’d start with a small box, but don’t skimp on height!
Enjoy!
Photos courtesy of Mel Hulse
