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How to grow rose cuttings in potatoes


How to grow rose clippings in a potato

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Potatoes are the secret to hard-to-grow rose varieties. - by Better Homes and Gardens

If you’re struggling to propagate roses the usual way, you can try a clever trick: growing rose cuttings in a potato.

The theory behind this trick is that the potato will keep the cutting moist and provide the plant with the nutrients it needs to thrive. As the plant grows the potato will break down naturally, nourishing the soil.

Just follow this step-by-step process to enjoy a bounty of fragrant roses in your garden.

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Will growing rose cuttings in a potato really work?

Yes, growing rose cuttings in a potato can really work. While some may say that growing rose cuttings in a potato is a myth (or, at the very least, an unnecessary extra step), the truth is potatoes generally have a high water content, which will help keep the cutting moist and increase the chances of the plant taking root and flourishing in your garden.

What you'll need

Step 1

Prepare the potato by carving out a hole that's slightly smaller than your cutting. A drill is handy for this step but if you don't have one, a corkscrew works just as well. Just be careful not to go all the way through the potato.

Step 2

Grab a rose cutting and trim 10mm off the end, cutting diagonally.  

Step 3

Dip the end in a hormone gel or dust. Alternatively, honey (or even Vegemite) will do the trick. Place the end into the hole in the potato.

Step 4

Plant the potato and the rose clipping into the ground with at least three inches of good soil covering it.

For a detailed look at how to grow rose clippings in a potato, watch the video below:

Put A Rose Cutting In A Potato And Watch It GROW!!!

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Rose Bush Cuttings In Potatoes

Home › Ornamental Gardens › Flowers › Roses

Roses

By: Stan V. Griep, American Rose Society Consulting Master Rosarian, Rocky Mountain District

Propagating or rooting rose cuttings to make more of the rose bushes we love, using potatoes, took to the internet a while back. I personally have never tried using potatoes but may well do so at some point. So, can you grow rose cuttings in a potato? There is some merit to the thought process of keeping the cutting moist as we attempt to get the rose bush cane cutting to take root. I have read about many different forms of propagation over my years growing roses on the farm and now in the city. I must admit that using rose bush cuttings in potatoes is intriguing.

Propagating with Rose Cuttings

To me there are some steps that one must take to have the best chance of being successful at getting a rose cutting to take root, especially in a potato. We want to take our cutting from a mature rose cane, one that has flowered/produced a bloom or blooms. I like to take cuttings that are 6 to 8 inches (15-20 cm. ) long. Place the cuttings immediately in a jar or can of water to keep them moist. Label each cutting with the name of the rose bush it was taken from if you are taking several cuttings at one time.

How to Plant Rose Cuttings in Potatoes

Prepare what will be the rooting end of the cane by trimming off about ½ inch (1 cm.) when you are ready to get going with the process. I like to lightly score the sides of the cane with a sharp knife near the bottom where the new roots will form. Removing or wounding a bit of the outer cane protection is fine, as it provides more root starting area. Dip the cut end of the cane into your favorite rooting hormone compound. I personally like one called Olivia’s Cloning Gel, as I have had great results with it. (Remove the foliage from the cutting, leaving only some on top.)

Place the cutting immediately into the rooting medium of choice– in this case, a potato. Choose potatoes with higher moisture content like white potatoes or red potatoes. Prepare the potato by making a round penetration into the center using a screwdriver, or perhaps a drill bit, that is a little smaller than the diameter of the rose cutting. Place the prepared cutting into the potato, but do not push it clear through.

Plant the potato and cutting out in a garden area with at least 3 inches (8 cm.) of good soil covering it, tamp lightly, and water it in. Place a jar or a wall-o-water around the planted cutting. I like using the wall-o-water units for this, as I can push them closed at the top forming a teepee-looking mini greenhouse over my cuttings or plant starts. Keep an eye on the soil moisture and see what happens.

I have read that some folks have had success with the potato method, while some others have had either no success with it or only marginal success. Placing the prepared cutting in a potato without planting the entire thing does not seem to work well at all according to some reports. Therefore, planting the entire potato and cutting seems to be the best way to go.

If you do not have a garden area in which to do the planting, a large pot (something the size of a 5-gallon (19 L.) bucket or larger) with drainage holes in it would likely work okay too– or you can opt for something smaller if this is only temporary, like waiting for the weather to warm up. Using the planting in a pot method, you could cover the pot with a large clear plastic bag to help hold in the valuable moisture, a wall-o-water unit may still work, too, if the pot is large enough for it.

Additional Info About Rooting Rose Cuttings

A couple of things to keep in mind when it comes to propagation of roses:

In some cases, the rose bushes will be fine and others not so much. I wanted you to know this so that if the rose bush does not survive its first winter season, it is not necessarily due to anything you did wrong in the process.

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Content

Roses are magnificent garden flowers that adorn the garden with their large, fragrant buds throughout the entire warm season. Each housewife has favorite varieties that I would like to increase in quantity and plant around the site. Propagation of roses by cuttings in potatoes is a fairly common technology that significantly increases the percentage of planting material survival. Ways to grow roses in potatoes are simple and affordable. The technique does not require special skills, suitable even for inexperienced flower growers.

Advantages and disadvantages of rooting roses in potatoes

Many novice flower growers have a natural question: why use such an intricate method of growing roses, because you can root cut cuttings directly in nutrient soil or in a glass of water.

The thing is that the cuttings do not immediately give roots. And during this period they need enhanced nutrition, stable humidity. The segments of the stem planted in the ground do not have enough moisture, they begin to dry out and die. And whimsical roses lack oxygen in the water, which also leads to a large percentage of dead sprouts.

Through trial and error, flower growers found the best option for growing roses at home - planting in potatoes. Tubers saturate the cuttings with moisture in the right amount, provide vital nutrients, and accelerate the formation of roots. The advantages of this method of growing roses:

  1. In potatoes, you can grow a rose from a bush of your favorite variety, or from a gift flower.
  2. Cuttings allow you to get a copy of the mother plant in all characteristics, in contrast to attempts to propagate by seeds. In addition, unscrupulous distributors can sell ungrafted seedlings, from which wild rose hips subsequently grow.
  3. The growing technology is extremely simple and efficient, the survival rate of the material is more than 70%.
  4. No need to worry about feeding and frequent watering of the sprouts after planting, they are already provided with everything you need.
  5. A large amount of starch in potatoes promotes the rooting and full development of a young plant.
  6. Potato is a kind of shield against adverse external factors for delicate plants - frost, fungal infections.

This growing technology also has its disadvantages:

Tip! If everything is done correctly, following the technology, it is possible to grow from 2 to 10 full-fledged plants from a bouquet of roses you like or a single, carefully stored bush.

Which roses are suitable for cuttings

Not all roses are suitable for propagation by cuttings. In order to successfully plant a rose from a bouquet or cut from a bush in potatoes, it is necessary to take into account a number of nuances:

  • only strong stems with live buds and leaves that are more than 0.5 cm thick should be used;
  • cuttings from stems with mature buds and blossoming flowers take root very hard, so it is better to choose shoots that have not yet blossomed;
  • The highest percentage of rooted sprouts is produced by mature stems with easily broken thorns.

    • It must be remembered that sluggish, dried up shoots affected by the fungus are unsuitable for propagation and cultivation.

    Roses with straight stems, not affected by pests or diseases are suitable for cuttings.

    When is it better to root a rose? It is necessary to be in time during the period when the leaves began to grow, but the flower buds have not yet appeared or have just hatched.

    Cuttings from such a bush are the strongest and take root better.

    If necessary, this cultivation technology can be used throughout the warm season. But at the same time, the need to root young seedlings before the onset of cold weather should be taken into account. Later than the end of June, cuttings are rarely carried out, when planting for the winter in heated rooms or greenhouses.

    How to plant roses in potatoes at home

    Growing roses in potatoes at home is a very interesting process that does not require special materials or skills. But you should carefully follow the established rules. Any violation of the methodology is fraught with the death of valuable planting material.

    You will need a rose cutting, a potato tuber and some free time

    Preparing potato tubers

    When choosing potatoes for rooting sprouts, you must adhere to the following criteria:

  • Potatoes must be at least 8 cm in diameter;
  • whole, healthy specimens free of rot, stains, fungal and bacterial infections are needed.

    • Tubers must be cleaned from the ground, remove all eyes with a sharp knife. The procedure is carried out so that the potatoes do not sprout in the process. Then you need to make a hole in it, slightly wider than the base of the cutting, deepening it approximately to the middle of the tuber.

    Tip! In the autumn-winter period, rose cuttings in potatoes can be placed on the windowsill in a pot filled with earth or in any suitable container. The sprout will take root before spring, will be ready for transplantation.

    Shank preparation

    Potatoes can grow a rose cut from a live bush or use a fresh stem from a purchased bouquet. You will need a sharpened knife or pruner so that the cuts are perfectly even. If the shoots are long and strong, they can be cut into several pieces. The length of the cuttings should be at least 15 cm, and the number of live buds should be from 3-4 pieces. Then they should be prepared for planting:

    The planting material is then ready for use.

    Planting a rose in a potato tuber

    Having finished the preparations, you can proceed to the most important stage: rooting a rose from a cutting in a potato. To do this, planting material with an obliquely cut end is inserted into the tubers. After that, they are placed in containers with fertile soil mixture. Or planted directly on the prepared site, located on the south side, in partial shade, protected from strong winds.

    The bed must be well dug to a depth of 20 cm, add humus, peat, ash. If the soil is too heavy, add sand. Moisturize. Plant potatoes with cuttings at a distance of 20 cm, no deeper than 5 cm. Sprinkle peat, garden soil or black soil on top.

    Potatoes for planting cuttings can be taken from various varieties, which are available

    Aftercare

    Rooting of rose cuttings in potatoes will be successful if the tender shoots are properly cared for:

    As soon as the rose cuttings have taken root and new side shoots have appeared, the cover can be gradually removed, extending the period daily, adapting the seedlings to the open air.

    To transplant a rooted sprout to a permanent place, it is necessary to carefully dig it out and remove the remains of the potato without damaging the roots. Plant in prepared fertile soil. The depth of the holes is 7-10 cm. Sprinkle with soil, mulch. By winter, young seedlings must be covered with coniferous paws, foliage, straw.

    Tip! When preparing the site for planting roses, it is recommended to decontaminate the soil with fungicides, spill it with a solution of manganese.

    Experienced flower growers plant rose cuttings in potatoes immediately in open ground

    How to plant a rose in potatoes with honey

    Sprouting rose cuttings in potatoes with preliminary treatment in a solution of natural biostimulant gives a wonderful effect. Natural honey in the amount of 30 g must be diluted in 1 glass of water at room temperature. Immerse the cuttings in the solution for half an hour. Then plant roses in potatoes in accordance with the standard procedure: with a slanting end to the middle of the tuber. Then place them in a container with earth and cover with foil, glass or plastic bottles.

    Honey is an excellent natural antiseptic that prevents the growth of pathogenic microflora and promotes the development of seedlings a spoonful of aloe juice;

  • a thick nail or screwdriver can be used to make a hole in the tuber;
  • insert the cutting into the potato carefully so as not to damage it;
  • the optimum temperature for rose seedlings is 25 degrees, air humidity is normal;
  • you should not "flood" plantings - roses cannot stand waterlogging, they start to hurt.

    • Cuttings grown at home or in a greenhouse must be accustomed to open air. For this, containers with seedlings need to be taken out into the street, increasing the time spent gradually. With the right approach, the cuttings are finally ready for transplanting into open ground after 60 days.

    Conclusion

    Methods for growing roses in potatoes were invented not so long ago, but have already gained well-deserved popularity among gardeners. This is a simple and effective technology that allows you to grow full-fledged seedlings from a single cut stem or propagate your favorite variety. In order for the cuttings to take root in potatoes, it is necessary to adhere to the rules of planting, to choose a full-fledged, healthy material. The technique does not require special skill or special tools. Even beginner summer residents can cope with the task.

    Reviews about roses in potatoes

    Sakharova Galina Vasilievna, 34 years old, Segezha

    My best friend told me that roses can be propagated from stems by placing them in potatoes. At first I did not believe it, this advice seemed too strange to me. Before that, I tried several times to propagate the only rose bush on my site, which I really liked. But for some reason, the cuttings died. And from the seeds of such beauty did not work. And then I decided to try. In the spring, I cut off a few branches, did everything as my friend said, installed it in a wide pan with soil. Somewhere after 3 weeks, new sprouts appeared, and after two months, the seedlings rapidly began to grow. Have taken root. Transplanted to the site, almost crying with joy. And now I have a whole rose garden along the path with huge, fragrant flowers.

    Vdovina Nadezhda Sergeevna, 28 years old, Pervomaisky

    Last year I tried to plant rose cuttings in potatoes for the first time. Judging by the reviews, this is how roses take root better, and there is always a root crop in the house, so there are no difficulties. Indeed, out of fifteen cuttings, only three did not take root. The rest quickly gave roots, got stronger. She took off the film and slowly began to take it out into the yard, accustoming her to the street. In late spring, I planted them in the ground. Already this year, the bushes delight with rich greenery and bright buds. This method of growing roses works great.

    how to grow a rose from a bouquet at home in potatoes (growing method step by step with photos and videos)

    Do not rush to throw away the presented bouquet. Roses withered, but new ones can be grown from the stem at home. The most effective way is to grow roses in potatoes. The step-by-step technique is presented in the video. The photo shows roses grown from cuttings.

    Contents

    Ways to grow roses from cuttings

    Presented bouquets of roses are very beautiful, but, unfortunately, quickly fade. And so I want to admire their beauty and grace longer. It's possible. Do not rush to throw away the bouquet, try to sprout twigs. Of course, for breeding it is better to take fresh cuttings from rose bushes. Bouquets are often treated with chemicals, preservatives, which reduces the degree of rooting.

    Imported roses have little chance of rooting. Such flowers have come a long way, lost their vitality. Red and pink varieties are most suitable, varieties with white, yellow and orange flowers take root worse. The best option for growing by cuttings is to use domestic roses that have already been acclimatized. To increase the chance of rooting, cut the shoots before flowering or immediately after it. Roses are germinated in several ways:

    Rooting cuttings of roses in potato tubers is popular among gardeners.

    Propagation by cuttings is the most common method, as it gives a 100% guarantee of obtaining exactly the same plant as the mother material. Very often, cuttings are grafted onto rose hips, but in this case there can be no guarantee that the plant will show the properties of roses, and not rose hips. The method of growing roses in potatoes is rarely used, but in vain. This is the most efficient method. Potatoes not only provide the seedling with moisture, but also with the necessary substances for growth. It contains:

    All this is necessary for the shoot to grow and form roots. Without a root system, the cuttings have nowhere to take these substances, and the potato supplies it with everything it needs.

    Step-by-step instructions for growing roses in potatoes

    Attention! Cuts must be made correctly. The upper cut is made at a height of 1.5 cm above the upper kidney at an angle of 90 °. The lower one is done immediately under the kidney at an angle of 45 °.

    Growing roses in potatoes

    The video at the end of the article shows the step-by-step process of sprouting roses in potatoes.

    Rules for the care of cuttings

    Potatoes with cuttings are planted in the ground and covered with glass or plastic bottles. This is necessary to prevent the cutting from drying out. Try to arrange the bottles so that the leaves do not touch the walls of the bottle. To prevent disease, you can water the soil with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. We put this design in a warm sunny place.

    Tip. Do not forget to remove the bottles to air the seedlings. Otherwise, from waterlogging, the cuttings will begin to rot.

    Water little and often. Excess moisture in the soil also leads to rotting of the cutting. Once a week, water the soil with a sugar solution (1 tablespoon of sugar per 200 g of water). This will provide additional nutrients to the plant. Spraying can be used along with watering.

    Local varieties of roses suitable for rooting

    As a rule, the appearance of the first leaves coincides with the beginning of the formation of roots. If you notice that young leaves are starting to grow, accustom them to the open air. First, for half an hour, and then gradually increasing the time, leave the plants open. After 2-3 weeks, young plants can be opened. After a few more days, you can transplant the rose to a permanent place. A rose can release a bud, it must be cut off, no matter how much you want to admire the first flower. The plant is too weak to expend energy on flowering, which can lead to the death of the bush.

    For full development, the seedling needs to be fertilized. Use complex fertilizers for this purpose.

    If the roses were intended for outdoor use, it all depends on the weather and season. It is better to plant a seedling in open ground in the fall so that the young plant does not dry out and adapts to the cold. With the onset of frost, the seedling must be insulated.

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