Help With Some Gardening

[sounderella]

I know absolutely nothing about gardening. I feel inadaquate as a homeowner. I do have a question though regarding roses:

My boss gave me some roses she clipped from her garden. Sooo pretty. Anyways, I was wondering how to root these so I could get them to grow in my flower bed. How would I go about this. I know about rooting hormone, but to be frugal, I was wondering if it is possible to go without, if not I understand, and it makes sense....just asking. Do I cut the actual flower off and keep the leaves?? Should I have a special mix of soil or can I just stick it in the ground as is. Thanks in advance for any help!

[zakity]

Do you have a willow tree? If you put things in water with a willow limb, it is supposed to help them root. Willows are supposed to have a natural rooting hormone or something.

[LuxLiving]

I've not had the greatest of luck, but I have done what you are suggesting...by putting the cutting into the soil and placing a large jar over the top, much like a terrerium (sp?).

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Yes, no rooting hormone needed.

The Baggie Method:

Cut the remains of the flower off. Remove all but about two top leaves. I like rooting in moist Perlite or Harborlite (Both are the puffed white mineral specks you see in commercial potting soil. You can buy it separately.) in a pot with drainage indoors.

Put the near leafless stem, cut down to 4-6 inches, into the Perlite. Water, let drain, then seal the whole thing into a ziplock plastic bag with air trapped in it to puff it up. This maintains a moist but airy environment great for forming new roots.

Place in a sunny window and wait about three weeks until you see roots. Then you can transplant to potting soil or garden soil. Give your rose weak fertilizer or compost tea (I'll let you google that) at transplant time. The indoors environment is not so hot and stressful to the new rooting plant. Oh, actually even if those two leaves you left shrivel and fall off while it is rooting, do not give up. There are secondary leaf buds that can give you new leaves along all the points where you removed leaves.

For best ongoing success, rose like more fertilizer and water than most people realize. Some people don't like roses in the landscape because they mostly only have seen scrawny, sloppy plants with barely any leaves and only punk looking flowers. Just give regular fertilizing (there are some great organic ones!) and lots of water and you'll be amazed at what a scrawny rose can turn into.

[mom-from-missouri]

i've tried this a zillion times, and had it work maybe 3 times. Its hard to do, but can be done. So, if it doesn't work the first time, try it again the next.

[sounderella]

Thanks for the help y'a'll! Here goes nothin'!