Modified baggie method to strike cuttings...

This is a method of striking cuttings described on Paul Barden's website ([You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]) that I've been using lately to strike soft tip cuttings and semi-hardened stems that have just flowered. So far I've had 100% success in a very short time.

This is what I've been doing:

I cut the top of a soft-drink bottle (2 litre) and put about 5cm of moist (but not wet) potting mix in the bottle. I cut my cuttings to about 15cmin length and remove the lower leaves and cut the top three or four leaflets back to just the bottom pair of leaves. I have used hormone gel (Dutch Master) and used nothing with equal success). Cut the base of the cutting so that it includes a heal because this region contains a lot of cells that will develop into roots. Stick them in the mix so that at least one bud is burried. Place the bottle in a plastic bag and use a freezer bag tie to seal the bag shut.

So far I have struck cuttings of Félicité et Perpétue which struck in 4 weeks, a rose that I think is Fun Jwan Lo which struck in 3 weeks, Golden Chersonese which has been in for 2 weeks now and is looking good, and Royal Basino which has struck in 3 weeks as well. The bottle is good because it is clear so when you see roots through the bottom of the bottle you know you can pot them on. Miniatures would be ideal candidates for this kind of propagation and now is the time to do it!

Think I might try it Tas. Looks like good fun.
Do you insert one cutting per bottle?
I'll send you some cuttings this week when I go out so you can do some more.

I did 6 in a bottle for 'Fun Jwan Lo'. I probably wouldn't do any more than 6 but it didn't seem to bother this variety.

This morning I have put 6 Ombree Parfaite into a juice bottle like you did Tas. It is sitting in the window out of the sun in its plastic bag. I did not use and rooting powder so we'll see how it goes!
Ombree Parfaite is a funny little rose. It is purply maroon with pink streaks in it. More of a novelty than a thin of beauty in my opinion. In Mary Moody's A-Z Of Roses it is described as a Centifolia (1823).

I did all those cuttings you sent me today too Dee... and there were so many that I left bottles open and put all the bottles into a huge clear plastic bag and sealed them all in together. I also put some into an empty fishtank and then put them all up in the shed under a skylight.

I did some budding today too of Fantin-Latour, Dainty Bess, Mme Plantier, Sunny South, and Sparrieshoop as well as had a go at grafting my first miniature (tiny bud but wasn't as hard as I thought it would be... will wait and see if it takes though before I crow too loudly) and I am a very proud Dad today I taught Eliza how to bud and she did her first bud of Dainty Bess onto a multiflora stem and it looks good too... I reckon it will take. So if teh cuttings fail hopefully the grafts won't

Hey cool idea Tas, I might try that with a few of my sickly roses , obv. can be done anytime of year ??

What's that TheE???? The bottle method, fishtank or budding? The cuttings are prfetty much semi-hardwood cuttings and soft tip cuttings. You do it this way at this time of the year and choose hardwood cuttings in winter. The budding is done now because things are growing hard and the sap is flowing strongly in the stems. The fishtank is just a big bottle...

I was referring to the cuttings in the plastic bags, as I get loads of them from all the babies clothes I buy , which reminds me I'm up to No. 10 now , 6 girls and 4 boys, need more boys , I need an area to went my addictions Tas

Well, I have mine in pots of sand with bottles over them. But I will try your way too, as the pots still need watering. Under the bottle area it keeps moist. Also I have dug them up to see whats happening.