Propagating

(April 2009)

What is the procedure I would use to root and produce more plants from my Knockout Roses? I love the plants, but I don’t have a lot of money to buy many more and was hoping I could grow my own.

Actually, the Knock Out Roses are patented plants. This means that legally, they cannot be propagated without express permission from the patent holder—in this case Conard Pyle, for 20 years from the date of filing. Many people feel that for personal use—not commercially for resale, even if a plant has a patent, it is ok to take cuttings and start new plants to use in your own garden. However, if you follow the law, no propagation whether for sale or for personal use is possible. To know whether a plant is patented or not, there should be a PP# on the tag of the plant that is sold. Sorry. You may want to look at getting some roses that aren’t patented, and propagate those.

(May 2007)

We transplanted two tea roses from my father's house three years ago. They came from my grandfather's house in the 70's and I am sure they are over 40 years old. They were beautiful the first year, but suffered last year and again with the cold snap we had in March. Both are close to one stalk only. We wanted to try and propagate save these family roses. Do you have a suggestion for the best way?

When taking cuttings during the growing season, the ideal cuttings are those from stems that have just finished blooming. Rose leaves come in clusters of leaflets. You want at least three to four (up to five) sets of five leaflets on the stem you are using to root. Remove the bottom sets of leaves that are on the portion of the stem that will be in the soil. Cut off the spent flower. Dip the cutting in a rooting hormone and place in fresh, sterile potting soil. Water the soil. Don't try to root in water; it doesn't produce as well. Then put the cutting, pot and all inside a clear plastic bag, or put a glass jar, or inverted clear plastic soda bottle over the top, creating a miniature greenhouse. This should keep your cuttings moist and in high humidity. Place the plants in a shady environment--don't put them in direct sunlight or you will cook them. Leave them covered until you begin to see active growth or they outgrow the container; then pot up or plant in the garden. If you have rambling roses with wild canes, you can also take cuttings or try layering the stems in and out of the ground.

All links to external sites open in a new window. You may return to the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture web site by closing this window when you are finished. We do not guarantee the accuracy of the information, or the accessibility for people with disabilities listed at any external site.

Links to commercial sites are provided for information and convenience only. Inclusion of sites does not imply University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture's approval of their product or service to the exclusion of others that may be similar, nor does it guarantee or warrant the standard of the products or service offered.

The mention of any commercial product in this web site does not imply its endorsement by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture over other products not named, nor does the omission imply that they are not satisfactory.