Propagating from cuttings (the method that has worked for me!)

Preparation is of utmost importance. Checklist of what you will need first:

* Clonex Purple (from Bunnings etc.) - other hormone gels and powders will work... also ordinary honey can be used, but I have only ever had good results from Clonex).
* Sharp, clean secateurs.
* perlite, perlite, and more perlite... coarse grade.
* a dust mask and clear goggles (for when handling the perlite, as the dust is bad for you).
* Searles Premium propagating mix (any gritty seed raising mix will also work, but should be sterile). Some people just use peat moss mixed with gritty sand.
* several clean pots.
* labels and a pen.
* a pencil, thin dowel or Phillips head screwdriver (i.e. something for poking holes into mix).
* a fine mister spray bottle.
* some clean water and cloths for wiping your hands.
* industrial strength duct tape and scissors.
* some fungal spray such as Yates Rose Shield (may need this later).
* a large bucket or a polystyrene fruit box (not the type with holes in bottom).
* any of the following: sheets of glass, clear plastic, clear greenhouse plastic, large clear plastic bags etc.
* a cool, shady place to work that is out of the wind.
* a cool shady place out of harms way to place the cuttings while they are taking root.

Sterilize secateurs by wiping blade before and during with metho. Alternatively, burn blades with flame from a cigarette lighter. This prevents contaminating your cuttings with fungus diseases.

Mix perlite "half and half" with propagating mix, moisten if not already quite moist. Important: Wear safety goggles and a dust mask as perlite is an irritant. Almost fill plastic pots with mix and stand in some water to soak up.

Select suitable cutting material from rose - not too old and not too young, up to about pencil thickness, although sometimes even twiggy ends from spent flowering branches will grow.

Make sure the cutting has at least 3-4 nodes. Cut the way you would normally prune a rose branch e.g. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] But in this case you are working "upside down", as it is the bottom of the cutting and not the top of the branch that is important. Make the cut clean and sharp about 0.5 to 1 cm below a bud on about a 45 degree angle. I am not sure if the direction of the cut is important - I have never found it to be. But to increase the surface area of the cutting, I make the cut start from the side opposite the bud, then go down on an angle so that the bottom point of the cutting ends on the same side as the bud, but is the furthest distance away from the bud. Some people are not so fussy and just chop off the branch at any point and still seem to have success. I know someone who always produces successful cuttings from the long twig below the spent flower. This often does not contain any nodes.
Heel cuttings can also work. These are from where a twig or branch joins with an existing branch.

Tip some Clonex Purple into a small container or lid to about half cm depth. (Never dip cuttings straight into the bottle as this will contaminate the mix, and always store product in the fridge). Stand the cuttings bottom end down in the mix. Leave them for about 10 seconds, take out and sit on the edge of the bench. Some people gently scratch the green surface of the cutting end in a few places to help the Clonex penetrate. This is not usually necessary I find.

Cut half a dozen or more in like fashion and dip in rooting gel.

Using pencil or similar, poke holes in mix to a depth of at least 8cm. Gently place cuttings into holes and press into place until firm. Never force cuttings into hole as this can damage the cutting. Fit as many cuttings as you can into a single pot. Mist thoroughly. Sit in some water, but not so much that you risk washing off the Clonex. Keep in shade, out of wind.

Sit pots inside bucket or polystyrene box. Cover with clear plastic or glass and fasten with duct tape or use thumb tacks etc. Before sealing up, give a good thorough fine mist with water (rainwater preferred) inside the box. Sit box or bucket in a cool, shady place where it is out of harm's way.

Every couple of days lift glass or plastic to check on cuttings and give another fine spray mist of water before resealing. Important: If any fungus disease is noticed, immediately spray cuttings with a Rose Fungicide (I find Yates Rose Shield is the best, as it is less likely to harm the sensitive cuttings). I generally give my cuttings a spray with this in any case, just as a safeguard.

Be patient. Cuttings take time. Wait, wait, and wait some more. Remove any cuttings from time to time that are obviously dead, as these can promote fungi, being careful not to disturb the other cuttings.

Eventually, after a couple of weeks to a few months, you will see new growth emerging, but don't be too hasty as sometimes cuttings will only be growing on their own sap. When new growth is apparent, gradually introduce more fresh air by folding back the plastic or propping up the glass. Replace if cuttings look to be going backwards. I usually wait until I see roots coming out the bottom of the pot before completely removing the cover.

Then it is a matter of carefully tipping them out of their mix and placing in individual pots. Be careful though, as the roots are often very fragile at this time.

Ian, that method is so simple to follow, for any one that is interested in doing cuttings they could not go wrong.
Do you have any better results from old fashioned or modern roses

Thanks IanM. That's a good resource to have up posted. I'll definately be referring to it quite soon. I'll also second Roseman's question re: success between old/modern roses, and add, do you find a certain time/season tends be more successful, or does the safe environment you have created under the plastic/glass void that question...

The results are pretty much the same between old and new roses. I once propagated some florists roses using this method when everyone told me it would not work. The plants flourished. I have a few HT's on their own roots and find they are actually longer lived than grafted specimens. In fact during the recent drought years, all of the roses on their own roots survived, while most of the grafted ones perished.
I use the same method to propagate other plants too and have had success with native trees and plants like daisies.

The safe, cool, humid environment is essential. I have probably had more success setting cuttings in the late winter, just coming on to spring as the sap begins to rise. But any time of the year is okay, although mid- late summer is probably not the best, as plants may be starting to shut down in preparation for the winter months. It's never a good idea to set cuttings in real heatwave weather when there is virtually no moisture in the air. The plants will be already stressed so the cuttings more prone to drying out before they can take root.

I should have mentioned in my first post that if you can't set the cuttings straight away, these can be placed into a plastic bag. Blow into the bag and tie the top shut. Maybe place in an esky to keep cool, but obviously not right on top of the ice brick.
For longer periods, such as transit in the post, wrap in some moist newspaper, then seal in a plastic bag. Cuttings can also be stored in the bottom of the fridge for a few days if wrapped up.

IanM
I too live on the Darling Downs. I wonder if you have tried callusing the cuttings first? I have had some success. You wrap the lower quarter of the cutting in moist newspaper which is then tied in bundles and then entirely wrapped in plastic. I attach a date tag and stand them upright in a glass jar on top of the freezer where it is quite warm. After two or three weeks I carefully remove the paper and plastic and check for evidence of callusing. I then plant them in Searle's potting mix.

Hi Bonita

Hows the rain going up your way. I understand that you have finally recieved some decent falls.

Here on the Sunshine (ha Ha Ha) Coast it has not stopped raining since Christmas Eve.

Hello and Welcome Bonita. From this point can you explain the process please.
upright in a glass jar on top of the freezer where it is quite warm. After two or three weeks I carefully remove the paper and plastic and check for evidence of callusing.

I bumped onto this nursery on help me find roses.

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All their roses are own root. After looking through their catalogue I think I will move to France.

Most of the HT roses that survived the drought in my garden were on their own roots.
Judging by the few rootstocks that survived, I'd say they are all Dr Huey (flower the same) but very thorny so maybe not Dr Huey? Whatever they are they grow like weeds in the wet, but are obviously not very drought hardy.

My 'Dr Phooey' is quite thorny too. If they repeat there is a good chance they are 'Gloire des Rosomanes', however, people have (and do) use strange things as understocks. I have an unknown rose here that popped up after its scion died off some 15 years ago. I've been trying to find an ID ever since. It too is uber thorny... a real pain 'literally' to weed around. I also bought a rose that I thought was a small cutting grown miniature in a forestry tube based on the advice of the nursery owner only to have it flower into some like 'Dr Phooey' instead of a petite little pink flower that I was expecting

I thought one of my "Dr Phooeys" might be 'Gloire des Rosomanes' as well, but it failed to repeat. I think they are all the same rootstock rose now. They look like a floribunda that is once flowering - if you can imagine a Lili Marlene that does not repeat.

Thank you to all those wonderful people who kindly sent me rose cuttings in recent months. Unfortunately I have never had such a poor success rate... well actually no success at all would be a better way to describe it. Out of the hundreds of cuttings I put in this year, all I got was one Indica Major and a few Dr Huey. Pathetic! All the rest went black with not even a sign of roots forming. I have never had such a dismal failure with cuttings and can only put it down to the heat and extremely high humidity. I will give up for now and not try again until the winter months.

Well followed your step by step propagating procedure before I went on holidays with a single rose (the first time I have tried to grow a cutting - I have been to quick to swipe my credit card in my past life) and am happy to announce my first official successful offspring. I guess that gives me a 100% success-rate "so far". Well in for a penny, in for a pound, I have potted up another 20 last night......

Congrats Shamous, That makes me feel a whole lot better as I was beginning to wonder if my method was fatally flawed.

I did not have much luck this summer either. Got quite a few in April but about 1% for summer.

Shamous and Gary, if you are going to do anymore this year, just a trial, can you post a picture in say step by step. The wood you selected, the potting mix, place the pots went to live. Just an idea. Some other things are temp, humidity, rain. I guess it will be like keeping a diary. I will ask Simon if we can put this somewhere as an ongoing thing.
I guess if I am suggesting this , I should do some as well. Any other members that want to be a part of this experiment, please put your hand up and be counted

I've been doing very well with the doggybag method this summer, except for the cuttings that came down from Qland. I don't think they like travelling that far! Just as well I got the crucial ones ("Lorna Doone", Mrs Graham Hart) budded as an each-way bet.
The plantlets you sent me have leafed up nicely, Simon. Too early to tell with the Golden Emblem cuttings yet.