A Comprehensive Guide to Rose Propagation

It makes sense why you want to grow more roses! They’re hardy, gorgeous shrubs with excellent statures. There are dwarf types that are easy to cultivate, climbing ones that twine on trellises, and towering heirloom types. Whatever type you grow, there are a few different ways to replicate it.

Starting roses from seeds is an activity for the curious—it takes a long time but is rewarding when successful. Seed roses resemble their parents, but they often differ from them in unique ways. Seeds have a combination of different rose genetics that create new flower colors, shapes, and sizes. They also differ in size, leaf shape, and thorn formation.

Sowing Seeds

Germinate seeds to try your luck with a new rose variety. Seeds sprout unique cultivars that differ from their parents in flower color, structure, and size. Germinating rose seeds is not the easiest propagation method, but it is the only way to sprout genetically unique specimens. 

Plant Seeds In Pots

Before we start, you’ll want to find some seeds. They grow inside rose hips, the orange-red fruits that sprout off successfully pollinated flowers. Find ready seeds from midsummer through fall as flowers fade and form hips. You may also buy them online or at a local nursery.

The easiest way to achieve this is to plant seeds during the fall before situating them under cover outside for the winter. Keep their soil wet, and the seeds will do just fine. If your winters are warm, place seeds in their pots inside your fridge. Wrap the pots in a plastic bag to keep them moist inside. 

Warm Soil In Spring

After winter dormancy, seedlings sprout with warm spring weather. They might not come up if they dry out during the winter or get too wet. You’ll want to keep their soil moist but not soggy, like a wrung-out sponge. 

Roses also sprout outside without cover in flats or raised beds where winters freeze. This method is harder to regulate, but still successful. Treat them the same way as if you were planting them in pots, burying them a quarter inch deep during the fall. They’ll sprout in spring as snow melts and sunshine arrives.

Wait To Transplant

Although seedlings sprout in spring, they’ll have weak root systems. Leave them in their pots the first year until fall approaches. By then, they’ll have thriving root systems and be ready to move into your garden. Transplant them, mixing in plenty of compost during planting.

Where winters are frigid in USDA plant hardiness zones 5 and below, you’ll want to wait until spring to transplant them. Keep them under cover until warm weather arrives, and transplant them before they break buds in early spring. Potted seedlings dry out quicker than in-ground ones, so ensure you keep their soil moist throughout their lifetime.

Collect More Seeds

Your new rose shrubs should sprout flowers in spring, letting you see their new genetic variability! Watch for different flower colors, blossom shapes, and stem sizes. If you like the type of roses that grow, you may want to propagate a new round of seedlings. 

Ensure your shrub’s flowers receive ample pollen while they’re open. If petals block the entrance, snip them away to let bees gain access. You may also use a paintbrush to brush pollen into the stigma. It’s the entrance to the ovary and looks like a donut ring on a stick protruding from the flower’s center. Brush pollen from the surrounding anthers directly onto the stigma.

Successful pollination results in rose hips forming. When red-ripe from midsummer through fall, they contain seeds that’ll readily germinate into new hybrids. Collect hips at will, cut open the fruits, and find the seeds. Then start the sowing process all over again for continuous rose propagation! 

Taking Cuttings

Cuttings are a surefire way to propagate rose varieties you like to grow. You can turn a single plant into a dozen by pruning mature specimens with many stems. Cuttings are also a superb method for rejuvenating old shrubs. You can take a cutting, dig out the old shrub, and plant the new one! 

These simple instructions will give you readily rooting cuttings within a few months.

Select Cutting Material

Stems with hips or flowers on them are the best cuttings for rose propagation. These tips root well when given the proper treatment. Look for the orange-red fruits or bright flower blossoms, and cut their stems at a 45-degree angle so they’re six to eight inches long. Prune off the hips or flower blossoms at the tip, and remove diseased leaves.

If your cuttings have leaves at their base, snip these off, too. You’ll want the root growth area free of debris. Fresh cuttings dry quickly and can die before they sprout roots. Keep them in a glass of water so they stay hydrated. The sooner you can prepare them for planting, the better, as their rooting chances are higher when they’re healthy. 

I recommend taking more than one cutting, that way if one doesn’t sprout you have extra backups. If they all root you have potted plants you can bless neighbors, friends, and family with. They’ll marvel at how you turn your existing roses into new ones!

Apply Rooting Hormones

Rooting hormones aren’t necessary for rose cutting propagation, although they’re extremely helpful. There are chemical ones you can find easily online or at grow stores, although you can also make a homemade concoction that does the trick.

Willow water uses natural compounds found in willow trees that stimulate rooting. It works on a wide range of plants, including roses, and is a perfect hormone if you already have willows growing nearby. Simply soak willow stems in hot water for a day or more and strain the liquid into a cup. Dip the rose cuttings into the solution after it cools, and it’ll help them sprout roots during spring. 

Other rooting hormones come in powders, gels, or liquids. Follow the instructions on each packaging for the best results, as they require different application methods. 

Plant Cuttings

With rooting hormones applied, your cuttings are ready for new homes. Bury them halfway in 5” pots so their base is below the soil—they’ll put out roots at the lowest points of the stem. Use a mix of compost and airy soilless mix in the pots, or try a special blend made uniquely for propagating cuttings. Firm the soil around the cuttings and water them well.

Other methods work well, like sticking cuttings into large flats, raised beds, or big containers. You might have what you need on hand already. No matter what medium you grow them in, they’ll need bright light for most of the day. Direct sunlight is too harsh, but indirect or dappled light is perfect. 

Another cool trick is to put cuttings in pots, then bury the pots in raised or in-ground beds. That way you can pull them up easily after they root, and they’ll already be in containers and ready for transplanting. No matter which method you choose, you’ll want to give cuttings at least six inches apart if you’re growing them together.

Care For Rooting Stems

Cuttings require consistent moisture, whether through soil or the air. Some growers use a humidity dome of plastic or glass while cuttings are young. It traps moisture around the plants so they can suck it in, despite them not having any roots. Only use these domes on mild days, as they’ll trap excess heat on hot days and kill the sensitive roses. 

The best way to ensure your stems root is to water them regularly. Warm days will dry the soil quickly, so maintain a watchful eye over the pots throughout the seasons. They’ll need more water if under cover instead of in the ground, as they won’t receive natural rain. Move your cuttings on mild, rainy days out of cover so they can take advantage of the natural water.

If cuttings start yellowing their leaves, they could be too wet or dry. Test their soil daily to see the moisture levels. When they’re consistently moist under bright indirect light, they’ll root when warm spring weather arrives. 

Transplant The Next Fall

Similar to rose seedlings, cuttings are sensitive their first year after rooting. They’ll have young, weak roots that won’t transplant well. Transplanting too soon can waste all of your rose propagation efforts! Instead, wait until fall to move them into their final homes—they’ll have robust root systems by then. 

Finding a proper location for roses eliminates a lot of disease and pest risks. They love full sun, although they tolerate partial shade in the hottest climates. Your cuttings will appreciate afternoon shade as protection from the sun’s hottest rays. 

Plant a rooted cutting by creating a hole that’s a little bigger than its root ball. Take the cutting out of its pot, and loosen the root. Mix compost in the hole, then plant the rose inside. Backfill soil and compost until it reaches the shrub’s base and water well. Roses do well with regular water during the growing season. 

Layering Shoots

Mound layering is an easier propagation method for replicating your existing rose varieties. Instead of cutting stems off, you’ll let them root while they still connect to the main plant. This method requires less care and maintenance than taking cuttings or air layering. It clones roses, so sow seeds if you’d like new hybrids.

Bury Stems

Rose stems have natural compounds that stimulate rooting when conditions are right. They sense subtle changes like moisture, light, and air. Trick rose stems into rooting by burying them two to four inches deep in the soil. 

Start this process from early spring through summer for best results. Rooting takes about two to three months, and you’ll want it to finish by the time fall arrives. That way you can easily transplant the propagule in the right season for ample blooms next spring! Bend a stem so that a section lies underground while the tip emerges. If the buried stem keeps popping up, pin it to the ground with landscape stakes or similar metal tools. 

The buried section should be free of leaves or dead wood. Prune these off before burying, as they’ll inhibit root growth. You may also wound a section of the stem and apply a rooting hormone before burying it. This increases your chances of layering success, although it’s not necessary. Rooting hormones initiate quicker, more reliable root formation, but it’ll happen eventually, with or without hormones.

Let Roots Form

With regular moisture, buried stems form roots within six to twelve weeks. A regular watering schedule ensures they won’t dry out since they’re less likely to root when they’re bone-dry. Leave the stem with connections to the main plant until sufficient rooting occurs. 

You’ll know the layered stems are ready when they resist pulling. New roots anchor the stems to the soil, creating a new plant! You may also notice new stems or shoots popping up from the rootbase. These signal that the rooting stem is ready for separation, as it can access nutrients, water, and air without help from the parent plant.

Prune Rooted Stems

Your stems are ready for pruning after they form ample roots that resist pulling. Use loppers or hand pruners to snip off the stem, leaving the new roots attached. Be careful not to prune above the roots on the emerging part, as you’ll have a rootless stem. Prune the stem that’s closest to the parent plant.

Now you have a rose clone! Dig it up with a shovel during late summer or autumn, and transplant it wherever you like. If ample roots don’t form by fall, leave the stem connected to the parent plant until spring. Then prune it off and transplant it into a proper home. Avoid pruning or transplanting during the winter, as sensitive roots will struggle to establish themselves amidst freeze and frost.

Dividing Established Roses

The last method on this list is a reliable propagation method for successfully replicating perennials, including any rose. Division, or root division, takes a mature plant and divides it up into many during the dormant season. If you have an old heirloom rose, a suckering native one, or multi-stem climbers, division is an excellent way to replicate your favorite varieties.

Find Mature Roses

First things first! Propagation by division requires finding a mature rose. Maybe you have an old, neglected one on your property, or your neighbor grows ungainly roses that need help to thrive. Division is an easy way to rejuvenate old shrubs and create new ones. 

This propagation method works best on rose bushes with multiple stems sprouting underneath the soil. If a rose has a single trunk and stems sprout aboveground, it’s impossible to use division. Try taking cuttings or layering shoots on these specimens instead. 

Roses don’t take to division well during spring or summer heat. They need cool, mild temperatures to adapt to such abrupt changes. Fall is an optimal time in mild winter zones. Wait until the plants stop actively growing or lose their leaves to divide.

For all other gardeners in hardiness zones with winter frost, start dividing in early spring while your roses are still dormant. That way they’ll adapt to transplanting during wet-warm spring rather than frosty-cold winter. 

Separate Offshoot From Its Parent

Use a sharp shovel and dig between the parent plant and a stem offshoot. Sever the root connections and dig out the stem. Create a wide radius around the stem while you dig to avoid damaging sensitive roots near the plant’s base. 

Some roses sprout multiple stems tightly packed near the center. Use a smaller shovel to excavate these, so you don’t dig into the main plant’s rootbase. Rose roots grow thick over time and should hold up to digging fairly well. A little extra care ensures you get as many of them as possible on your new shrub. 

Quickly transplant the offshoot to a different location. It’s at risk of dehydration with its roots exposed, so put it below the soil to help it grow again. Roses appreciate full sun, regular water, and rich, well-draining soil. Grant them these conditions and they’ll reward you with dozens of blooms every spring.