Hi! I am a total newbie to roses and need advice on two items.
I made some rose cuttings from a wild bush I have had in my yard for years. I did use root hormone, now just waiting. I see a few tiny buds on the sides of the stems after almost 2 months. I think they are alive How do I tell if the roots are actually growing, though?
Meawhile, the tree cutters I hired have cut my rose bush I took these from down to the ground! Its so late in the year. I am in zone 5, Wyoming. It should snow this weekend. Is there anything I should do to help this wild rose out before spring? I have researched it and this is a Harrisonās Rose some call Yellowstone.
Thanks for help!!
Lisa - I canāt help with the rose cuttings as I seldom try this and when I have I havenāt had much luck. Although if you are seeing new buds on the canes I would say that is a good sign that your cuttings have indeed taken root.
With regard to your wild rose being cut down. While it is not clear exactly what you mean when you say ācut to the groundā Iām guessing that the canes were cut very close perhaps 2 to 3 inches to the ground. If the rose Harrisonās Yellow has been there for some time it would be my thinking that it is very well established with a good root system. Also this is a very hardy rose. While unfortunate that they cut your rose back, I think that it will come through winter and flourish come spring. I would place a layer of mulch over the rose - say 3 or 4 inches could be thicker as this will further help protect the root system from winterās freeze and thaw cycles. Roses are quite tough. Iām in Michigan and have had to cut back my roses, HTās and all back to mear stubs in the spring and by June they are happily blooming. Best wishes for a good winter and wonderful blooms in spring. Let us know how things turn out
Hi, Harrisonās Rose is beautiful and pretty hardy. The roots are protected in the ground. On both questions, I would wait until spring and see what develops. I had 50-50 luck with doing cuttings. Let us know how yours do!
āHarrisonās Yellowā is a vigorous rose when it has been in the ground a few years. If it was so large that it needed a haircut, it must have been in the ground many years. If you are in an area with near or below zero temps expected, you could cover it with Christmas tree branches and let the snow gather. It should grow then bloom by next July.
One thing that others havenāt mentioned is that your rose is a spring blooming rose, which means that you probably wonāt have blooms on the hard pruned rose next year. Donāt worry if that happens. the rose should vigorously grow canes and be ready to bloom profusely the following year. You will want to fertilize well with a balanced fertilizer. I would also recommend adding mono potassium phosphate (MPK) to help strengthen the new canes. Follow the package instructions. if you are spraying the MPK on to the leaves 1/2 tsp per gallon is recommended, otherwise 1 tsp per gallon works for soul watering.
How do I tell if the roots are actually growing, though?