Rose bushes are one of the most popular plants in gardens. Given the beauty and delicious fragrance of its flowers, it is not surprising that this is the case. In addition, an essential oil can be extracted from them that is used in perfumery, cosmetics, gastronomy and for medicinal purposes. If you want to have more roses in your garden, this method will help you propagate your plants.
The potatoes provide the necessary moisture to the cuttings. This allows them to develop healthy roots. Keep in mind that while you can apply this method any time of the year, you’ll get better results if you wait until the weather is a little cooler.
1. Take a healthy cutting that is no more than a year old. Its length should be around 20 and 25 cm. When you make the cut, be sure to use clean gardening shears. If you won’t be using the cuttings right away, store them in a plastic bag.
2. From the bottom up, remove the wilted leaves until you reach the first healthy leaves.
3. Fill a pot with good quality soil and moisten it a bit.
4. Take a potato and make a hole in it just big enough for the cutting to fit through. You can use the tip of a branch or screwdriver to do this.
5. Put some rooter on the tip of the cutting. That is, where you had made the cut. Shake off the excess and stick it into the hole you made in the potato in the previous step.
6. With a clean spoon, dig a hole in the soil you had put in the pot. It should be big enough to fit the potato.
7. Place the potato on the ground. Cover it completely, so that only the cutting sticks out.
8. On the base of the cutting, place a clean plastic bottle. This will serve to create a small greenhouse. Make sure it sits firmly on the ground.
9. Take the pot to a warm place, out of direct sunlight. Every day you should take the bottle out for a few minutes to let the cutting breathe. Wait until you see new shoots. In the meantime, keep the soil moist at all times.
10. When you slightly pull on the cutting and feel resistance, the roots have developed.
11. Remove the bottle and relocate the pot. Move it to a sunny spot, where the plant can receive more direct light. Let it grow a little more, always keeping the soil moist.
12. Gradually, you will need to expose the plant to outside temperatures. Start by doing this a few hours per day. Choose a place where the rosebush is sheltered and receives a good amount of light, without the sun hitting it directly. Keep keeping the soil moist.
13. After a week, the plant will have acclimatized and you can transplant it into the ground.