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Cuttings are the most acceptable propagation method for roses, but since these flowers are very whimsical, their cultivation by cuttings in the garden or at home is not always successful. And the difficulty lies in the fact that the cuttings can dry out or rot from a lack of moisture and nutrients. Ordinary potatoes help to solve this problem and ensure almost one hundred percent germination of the cutting. How to grow a rose in potatoes quickly and at minimal cost will be discussed in the article.
Preparing the cuttings and potatoes
In the eternal search for the best and most effective ways to root rose cuttings, many materials have been tried, among which the potato tuber turned out to be the most successful. Fresh potatoes contain a considerable set of nutrients, especially starch. This is a long-term source of constant moisture and reliable protection against hypothermia, decay, and the development of bacterial diseases that sometimes affect roses at the initial stage of growth. In addition, it is technically easy to grow a rose cutting in fresh potatoes.
Before planting a rose in a potato, you should first prepare the tubers and the cuttings themselves. As a container for planting roses, it is better to take young, recently dug tubers – they contain the maximum amount of nutrients.
If the stalk is grown in a pot in winter, then the freshness of the tubers is not so important. The main thing is that they are large, dense (not withered) and without damage. All eyes on the tuber must be removed to prevent its germination.
It is advisable to cut the cuttings (part of the green shoot) at the end of May, when the rose blooms. For cutting cuttings, it is not recommended to use shoots with unripe buds, as well as with already faded roses, since it is very difficult to root such cuttings – they simply do not take root. Reproduction by cuttings is also possible from a purchased rose (from a bouquet) – there is no fundamental difference. However, it is important that the flower is not grown abroad, since imported roses are treated with a preservative composition that ensures a long shelf life.
The length of the cutting should be 15-20 cm. Thus, 3-4 blanks can be obtained from one rose or one shoot of medium length. The cuttings should be cut with a sharp object, preferably with a garden pruner, so that the stem does not burst when cut. The lower cut is performed 2 cm below the kidney at an angle of 45°, the upper one is 1 cm above the kidney, and the cut itself can be either at an angle or straight. All leaves at the bottom of the cutting must be removed, leaving only a couple of upper leaves.
Next, sections of the cuttings are treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate for 12 hours, and then placed in a stimulating solution (Kornevin, Heteroauxin) for a day. You can replace these funds with fresh aloe juice. After that, the bottom part of the cuttings is stuck into the potatoes. In order not to break the stalk, you can make a hole in the potato with a long sharp object (screwdriver, large nail) and simply insert the workpiece. It should be clarified that the propagation of roses in potatoes is only acceptable for varieties with erect stems. For growing a weaving rose, it is not a cutting that is used, but a layering – a shoot dug and rooted in the soil, because growing a layering in a potato tuber is very difficult.
Video “Rooting rose cuttings in potatoes”
From the video you will learn how to root a cutting in a potato.
Growing cuttings in open ground
You can root a rose in a potato tuber at home in a pot, or immediately in the open field. The advantage of planting in the ground is that the plant does not have to be repotted, allowing it to flower the same year or next spring. When choosing a site for planting cuttings, it should be noted that roses will grow in this place for several years, so it must be open to the sun and protected from the wind. Further landing technology is as follows:
- we dig a trench 20-30 cm deep (for planting in rows, or for further transplanting to another place) – for planting single bushes without transplanting, separate holes are dug for each plant;
- we pour a layer of sand at the bottom of the pit – this is necessary to prevent contact of the tubers with the ground, and to prevent the potato itself from rotting, and with it the cuttings;
- we stick the prepared cuttings into potato tubers, as described above;
- then we place the tubers with cuttings in a trench at a distance of 15 cm;
- we fill the trench 2/3 with earth, lightly tamp.
A necessary condition for rooting cuttings is to maintain constant moisture. Watering should be regular, but not too intense. For the first time, it is recommended to cover the cuttings with a plastic bottle with an unscrewed cap (to provide air access). On sunny days, plants need to be shaded; on cloudy days, remove the bottle altogether. After about a month, when the cuttings take root, the shelter is removed.
Growing a flower in a potato at home
The advantage of home growing roses in potatoes is that you can do it at any time of the year. The room is always warm, and if you manage to germinate the cuttings in winter, then by the end of spring you can get a full-fledged bush for transplanting to a flower bed, or wait for flowering on the windowsill. Any containers are used to grow roses at home, but, of course, taking into account the future fate of the flower: if it will decorate your house, then you should choose a beautiful pot, and if you plan to transplant it into open ground, even cut plastic bottles will do.
As in natural conditions, at home it is necessary to create favorable conditions for the germination of cuttings. It is necessary to lay drainage at the bottom of the pots, fill the containers with soil mixture (any store soil for flowers will do). It is good to lay a thin layer of humus on top of the ground, but in order to use the fertilizer at room conditions, it must be disinfected by two or three frosts for 2-3 days. It is also recommended from time to time to add preparations to the soil that inhibit the pathogenic microflora of the soil, for example, Fitosporin, Baikal M-1.
In order for the cuttings to take root faster, the soil should always be moist, so at home, in addition to watering, it is recommended to additionally spray future roses with water. A glass jar or plastic bottle cover will help maintain heat and humidity. After the buds begin to develop on the cuttings, the shelter is removed, and the seedlings are gradually adapted to the conditions of the external environment. Particular attention should be paid to the quality of lighting, but care must be taken that the sprouts do not overheat.
Features of transplantation to a permanent place
Rose seedlings are transplanted to a place of permanent growth in the first half of autumn (until mid-October), so that they can take root before the onset of winter. Pits for bushes should preferably be prepared 2-3 weeks before transplanting. The size of the planting hole should correspond to the size of the rhizome of the plant. If the soil is not fertile enough, then compost should be laid at the bottom of the pit, and then a layer of earth should be poured so that the roots do not come into contact with the fertilizer. Before planting, the pit is well moistened.
It is very important when digging up a seedling not to damage the roots. To do this, the plant needs to be well watered, and when the soil becomes wet, carefully dig from all sides, and then remove the bush along with the earthen clod.
Next, the seedling is placed in a planting hole, the roots are straightened and covered with earth so that the root collar rises a couple of centimeters above the soil surface. The earth is rammed, the seedling is watered and mulched with a thin layer of humus. In autumn, plants can be fed with special mineral mixtures for roses without nitrogen, as this element can cause a rapid vegetative process, which will significantly complicate the wintering of roses.
Transplanting roses from a pot into the ground is carried out in the same way, with the only difference being that the seedlings in pots need to be hardened 2 weeks before transplantation – they must be taken out for several hours. For the winter, young plants cover: the roots with organic mulch, and the bush itself with dense material. Pruning of seedlings of the first year of life is not necessary, their shoots are quite flexible, so the branches are simply bent to the ground and covered. In general, cutting roses using potato tubers is a simple, budgetary and quite effective way. Try to put it into practice and be sure that the result will please you!
Video “How to transplant a rose”
From the video you will learn how to properly transplant a flower.
