Plant Gardens 101

Since the Victorian Era, rose cuttings have been used to propagate roses, and even pioneers who journeyed west to find a new life would use this art as well. They would take along various cuttings from their gardens in the east, putting them in mason jars and carting them across the land until they found the right place to plant.

If you want a garden project that is easy and fun propagating new roses by using rose cuttings can be done quite simply. This is a great way to start your own rose garden for cheap. While there is not set way you have to prepare your cuttings, just about everyone seems to have their own special way of doing it. However, here are a few things that will help you out as you get started in the art of preparing your cuttings and then planting them. Consider doing some experimenting to find out which method works the best for you.

Mason Jar Method

This is a fairly simple way of using rose cuttings for propagation. You’ll first want to cut a stem from the rose bush of your choice. Then you’ll want to take the stem and take off any leaves there are on it. Once you plant it into the ground, you’ll need to cover it with a mason jar. Make sure that you water the area around the jar, just to be sure that the stem doesn’t get too dry. Usually after a couple months, you’ll see new leaves growing from this cutting. (more…)

If you are a beginner at rose gardening you have probably heard the phrase rose propagation and you are quite sure what it is and how to do it. Propagation is a term used to describe reproduction in the plant world. You can propagate you roses by using seeds or taking a cutting from your existing rose plant.

There is a long and rich history to Rose propagation. Not much has changed as far as the terms used in Rose propagation since the early 19th century. This is when American settlers rose stems with them into the West. Some may even remember their mothers or grandmothers taking a rose stem and putting it in the ground with a plastic jar over top to make it grow.

The use of a cutting from a rose plant is the most common method of rose propagation. They main people who use seeds in rose propagation are commercial growers and horticulturalists. By using a seed you are never guaranteed that you will get the exact replica of the original rose bush. It is possible that the pollen that was used to fertilize the seeds may not be completely pure, you may actually come out with a mix of different plants. (more…)