Do Rose Bush Branches Sprout?

Popularity

• Starting rose bushes from cut branches is the method that gardeners use most often to propagate roses. By taking a piece of the mother plant and coaxing it to root, you have created a new plant with the exact same genetic makeup of the parent. This is how rose growers can generate the same type of rose for generations. Newer roses often bear a patent warning to keep growers from illegally propagating cuttings and selling them.

Ease

• The ease of using a rose branch to start a new plant is why roses cover our landscapes. Homeowners used to take short cuttings from the branches, stick them in the ground, cover them with a glass jar during cold weather and wait for sprouts to emerge. All they did was keep the cut fresh by planting it immediately, provide it with nutrient rich garden soil and protect it from freezing temperatures.

Drawbacks

• If you mimic a plant by starting a new one from a cutting, there is also a high likelihood of transferring any viruses or diseases that plagued the parent plant. Make sure that if you pick a branch from a rose bush to use for sprouting roots, that it is a healthy plant with no signs of disease.

Timing

• Planting a rose bush cutting into damp potting or garden soil will not produce a new rose plant immediately. Expect to wait at least six weeks for the cutting to grow roots and then another several weeks for the plant to grow large enough to support a rose or two. Winter is a convenient time to root rose branches since the roots have several months to grow slowly before spring arrives.