How to Propagate Lady Banks Rose

Fill a 4-inch pot with equal parts sand, potting soil and peat moss until 1-inch below the rim. Ensure the pot has adequate drainage holes through its base, or drill if necessary before adding the potting mix. Moisten the potting mix until excess water seeps out through the drainage holes.

Poke a pencil through the potting mix to form a planting hole for the tip cutting. Depending on personal preference, grow each cutting individually in a pot or root two or three together. Space multiple holes evenly apart.

Locate a healthy stem on the upper growth of your desired variety of Lady Banks rose plant. Make sure the cutting has three to five leaves on it. Use sharp pruning scissors to take a 4- to 6-inch tip cutting from the stem that just stopped blooming. Form a straight cut at a 45-degree angle to sever the stem from the parent plant.

Wrap the cutting in a moist paper towel or insert its cut end into a glass of water and keep away from direct sunlight until you root it. Take one or two more cuttings from the plant to make up for those that fail to root.

Scrape the end 2 inches of bark from each cutting using a paring knife. Remove leaves and buds from the lower 2 to 3 inches of each cutting, leaving those at the top intact to prepare food.

Pour rooting hormone powder into a small bowl. Insert the lower 2 inches of each cutting into the hormone powder. Tap excess powder off the cutting and insert the covered end in the potting mix.

Firm the soil at the base of the cutting so it stands on its own before repeating the process of planting the remaining cuttings.

Insert three wooden dowels around the edges of the pot before placing it into a clear plastic bag. Wind a length of wire or tape around the opening of the bag to seal it. The bag mimics the effect of a greenhouse and helps the cuttings root sooner.

Place the pot in a warm spot exposed to indirect light. Keep the soil moist at all times until the cuttings root, which usually takes four to six weeks. Signs of rooting include new growth, root tips emerging through drainage holes or resistance offered by the cutting when you tug it. Once rooted, remove the bag and position the pot in a warmer spot until fall when you can transplant the Lady Banks rose cuttings to the desired planting site.