How to Make Long-Stem Roses Root

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Things You'll Need

  • Knife

  • Peat moss

  • Vermiculite

  • Pot

  • Rooting hormone

  • Skewers

  • Plastic bag

Root a bouquet and grow a rose bush.

Turn a beautiful bouquet of long-stemmed roses into new rose bushes you can enjoy for many years. While the gift of cut flowers is fleeting, you may extend their beauty by rooting the flowers and growing them into new rose bushes. The best cuttings for rootings come from stems 6 to 8 inches long. The rose bushes grown from cuttings produce the same flower type and quality as those on the cutting. However, the roots may not be as strong because many commercial roses are grown on grafted root stock.

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Step 1

Cut the flower off the top of the long-stemmed rose. Remove the entire flower head, including the swollen portion at its base.

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Step 2

Recut the base of the stem at a 45-degree angle. Use a sharp knife so the stem isn't crushed. Strip the leaves from the bottom half of the stem.

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Step 3

Combine 1 part fine-milled peat moss with 1 part vermiculite. Place the mixture in a 5-inch diameter pot and water it until it's evenly moist.

Step 4

Dip the cut bottom end of the stem into a rooting hormone. The hormone encourages the rose stem to quickly produce new roots.

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Step 5

Insert the bottom 1 to 2 inches of the stem into the potting mixture. Push it in deep enough to stand upright on its own. Insert a wooden skewer into the soil on either side of the stem so the ends of the skewers protrude above the stem.

Step 6

Cover the pot with a clear plastic bag so that the skewers prevent the plastic from touching the stem. Set the pot in an area that receives bright, indirect sunlight.

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Step 7

Mist the rose stem with water every three to five days, or just before the soil surface dries completely. Avoid overwatering, as soggy soil will cause the stem to rot.

Step 8

Check the rose stem for rooting after four weeks. Tug on the tip lightly; it has rooted if there is resistance. Remove the bag and continue to water the soil once the rose has rooted.

Tip

Rooting hormone is available from garden centers.

Transplant the cuttings outdoors in spring after the last frost. Transplant only those cuttings that have produced roots.

Warning

Some cuttings will fail to root. Start several stems so you have extras to replace those that fail.

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