Learn how to grow a rose from a cutting and a slip using the hardwood or softwood propagation technique.
Roses are surprisingly easy to root. I’ve heard of rose bouquets striking roots in the vase, but I’m not a fan of rooting in water, as I find it difficult to pot up tender water-rooted plants without shocking them near to death, so I’ll focus on the soil method I use.
Collect your cuttings in late summer or early fall, when the new growth has matured and grown woody. At this stage, the cuttings are called “semi-hardwood” cuttings. Earlier in the season, when the new growth hardens just enough to snap easily, they’re called “softwood cuttings.” Many plants, especially bedding plants, root well to this technique. Softwood roses root well too, but they need more support than hardwood cuttings.
Either slip or cut fresh growth from the rose bush. If you cut them with a pruner, make each cut directly below a bud, cutting at about a 45-degree angle. If you slip them, tear the branch downward from the main, so it tears a “heel” of tissue from the main. Trim each cutting to between 6 and 8 inches long. Remove all but the top two leaf sets from each cutting. If you cut an 18-inch whip from the bush, it can be cut down into three cuttings. Make each sub-cut directly below a bud, just as you cut the slip from the bush. If you cut a large branch with many side branches, each side branch can be torn off as its own slip.
If you want to use rooting hormone, now is the time to dip the cuts or tears in it. Rooting hormone comes in three forms: powdered, liquid, and gel. I rarely use rooting hormone, but when I do, I prefer gel.
Align the cuttings with all the bottoms together (no cuttings upside down), and bundle them in damp newsprint. Allow them to callus by laying them in a cool, dark area for a day or two. Callus looks like white spongy tissue “globbed on” the cut ends.
After the callusing period, stick the cuttings upright in a potting case filled with soilless potting mix. I use a pair of clear plastic shoeboxes for a rooting case, one filled with mix, the other turned upside down as a lid. Pack as many cuttings into the case as you can without overlapping the leaves too much. Water the cuttings lightly and close the case. Set the case on a heat mat; the ideal temperature for roses is between 70 and 80 degrees, and under fluorescent lights.
Now, let the cuttings do their thing. Check them for moisture every week or so, and remove cuttings that fail and begin to mold, as not all of them will survive. Beyond that, don’t mess with the cuttings. In 2 to 8 weeks, you’ll see roots growing along the sides of the case.
Once roots start to form, take the lid off for a few minutes every few days. Think of this as a hardening-off period, just like hardening off vegetable seedlings. Once you can leave the lid off completely, separate the mass of rooted plants into individuals and pot them up into their own pots. By spring, they’ll be ready to plant out in your new rose garden.
Read more on Natural Rose Bush Care.
Originally published in the April/May 2025 issue of MOTHER EARTH NEWS and regularly vetted for accuracy.
