Rose Propagation - Four Weeks Later

It has been four weeks now since I attempted to propagate some cut roses. They were already wilted and looked past redemption, but the outlook has been positive so far.
The rose stems have sprouted leaves and some leaf stem, and they look alive and well. It noticed some decay from two leaves touching the wet bag, but I have pinched them off.
The leaves are vibrant and I expected to see roots when I gently tipped the pot over today, but I was shocked to discover NO ROOTS! Oh no!
I think the leaves were subsisting on the water in the bag, the nutrients from the old stem, and photosynthesis from the new leaves. I decided to take action since this can only last for so long.

RESCUE EXPERIMENT #1: First, I cut the stems shorter to remove the now rotted bases. This revealed healthy new stem.
I'm hoping the base of this growing leaf and stem can grow some roots so I am planting them with their bases touching the soil. In order to avoid rot, I sprayed the top of the soil, the stems, the leaves, and the inside of the plastic bag with a mild mixture of water, baking soda, and dishwashing soap.
RESCUE EXPERIMENT #2: I took a stem bud cutting from one stem that had a good, healthy leaf and stem base combination.
I kept this cutting fresh in water that had a little of the anti-fungal mix in it.
I dabbed some rooting powder on the base of the stem bud cutting as opposed to dipping it into the bottle. The cutting is just too small and short!
I didn't want to risk using potting soil, so I found some small aquarium gravel I had handy and washed it clean with soap and water. Then I gently planted my stem bud cutting into this wet medium. I'm really not sure if this will work, but I'm all about the experiments for these rose cuttings because I really want them to work out! (And I've got nothing to lose!)
Then I sealed the stem bud cutting into a plastic bag, and tucked it away into a shady location with indirect sunlight.
RESCUE EXPERIMENT #3: The poor stem that had the stem bud removed now has a gaping hole. There is still another leaf set below it, so I'm going to try and minimize the damage (which is pretty hard considering what I've done to it!)
I don't have any sphagnum moss, so I found a cotton ball and pulled it into a fluffy state. I also collected some scotch tape.
I dipped the cotton ball into my anti-fungal tainted water and wrapped it around the giant hole in the stem. Then I gently pressed the excess water out.
And sealed it all up with tape! I'm sure the "real" gardeners out there would cry if they saw this tutorial, but I'm really not sure how else to fill this hole up! We'll see what happens.
Then I placed this oddly bandaged stem back into the soil, with the lowest bud touching the soil like his other buddy, and sealed it all up in my clear plastic bag.

I hope at least one of these experiments will work. I'd be really, really disappointed if they don't. Perhaps I've used up all of my green thumb magic on the impatiens and dahlias. Those propagate like nobody's business!

PREVIOUS UPDATES!
Rose and Geranium Propagation - Week 1
Rose and Geranium Propagation - Week 2
Rose and Geranium Propagation - Week 3

Happy Gardening!

UPDATE 05/03/2011 - This particular rose propagation experiment didn't work out. The cuttings didn't have enough airflow and the environment was too moist so the cuttings went moldy/mildewy. Also, I believe that the rose stem was not fresh enough. I also do not recommend the corn meal idea. I think it just encourages more mold due to the sugar content.

Alternative option: I tried propagating stems of rose cut from a live plant, both miniature variety and large variety, and it worked. I took a 5 node stem, not too young or too woody, added rooting hormone to the base, planted it into a shady spot in the garden, and watered regularly to keep the soil moist but not soggy. It will take a while to root, but it will keep growing. My propagated rose stems survived through winter and are doing well.

Good luck with your propagating!

Rose And Geranium Propagation - Three Weeks Later

Well, it's three weeks later! Let's see how the rose and geranium cuttings are doing, shall we? The geranium cuttings are still alive and well. One of the single leaf-with-its-stem is starting to yellow, but all the other leaves and stems are doing well. I have taken the plastic off for about half a week now.In a moment of curiosity, I decided to gently tip the container upside down to see if there were any roots developed yet. I rinsed the cuttings in a pot of water and look what I discovered - ROOTS!
Some of the stems had just a few little roots, but they are good sized roots that look pretty good! I'm a bit confused as to how a new plant will grow from a single leaf, but oh well!
This single leaf stem had lots of roots! Wow, I'm impressed. It also appears to have something that looks like a base where other leaves could grow from, so I think it will do well.
This particular cutting had some pretty good-sized root development, so I decided it was good enough to plant. I think I could have given it another week, but I'm impatient :P
I dug a big hole beside the original parent geranium and buried it with love. Ah, my first propagated geranium. What bliss!
I repotted the rest of the geranium stems cuttings. The 2 root and lotta roots single stem cuttings got their own pot. Once they have some more leaf development, I can transplant them or give them away.

Out of the 6 cuttings that I started, 3 of them do not have any root development yet (50% success rate). Surprisingly, the largest proper stem cutting is one of them. I wonder if the thicker stem is more aged and doesn't develop roots as easily anymore. The perfect cutting was a thinner stem cutting from the top or side. I am going to let them continue to attempt to grow roots since they have not wilted.
The geranium leaf cutting experiment shows that the leaf cuttings don't work. Look how shrivelly they are! Terrible...
The rose stem cutting experiment is going very well. Two of the stems worked, and one didn't.
Look at the wonderful red and orangy leaves growing out from the successful stems! They're beautiful.
They're reaching out now for more sunshine. This is a good sign that the stems have probably taken root. I am leaving the plastic bag on for another week. It is still sealed with the twist tie, but I am opening it each week to give it some fresh air.

Happy Gardening!

UPDATES!

Rose and Geranium Propagation - Week 1
Rose and Geranium Propagation - Week 2
Rose and Geranium Propagation - Week 3
Rose Propagation - Week 4

Happy Gardening!

Rose and Geranium Propagation - Two Weeks Later

It has been two weeks since I planted the rose stems and geranium cuttings. Let's see how they're doing, shall we?Well, the geranium stem and leaf-with-stem cuttings are doing A-okay. I have opened the top of the bag now so that the plant has fresh air all the time. The walls of the bag are still up though, so they help to keep the plant partially insulated from the dry air. The geranium seems to miss the moisture as it doesn't look as lush as before, but it isn't wilting either. I am keeping a close eye on it to ensure that the cuttings don't dry out.The geranium leaf cutting experiment is still going, but the leaf cuttings are looking a little yellowy. They may not make it. I risk losing quite a bit of moisture in opening up the bag top fully, so I have it closed but with a gap to let in some fresh air. I won't stop the experiment until the leaves are very obviously expired.
The rose stem cuttings that I thought looked poorly last week, don't look so bad this week. They have dropped the wilted leaves left over from the bouquet, but they appear to be sprouting new leaves. The bud above looks pretty fresh and alive to me!Higher up on the stem, the other buds have taken on a red colour at the tips. It's really rather pretty against the lively green underneath it.This little red bud has burst open the crunchy brown bits that were previously around it. With any luck, these two rose stems will take root and grow. There is a third stem in there as well, but it is not as lively as the other two. It's not dried up yet either.

I am keeping the plastic bag on the rose stems still firmly sealed since they don't have any leaves yet. I only open it once a week to add fresh air before I seal it again.

I'll keep you posted.

UPDATES!

Rose and Geranium Propagation - Week 1
Rose and Geranium Propagation - Week 2
Rose and Geranium Propagation - Week 3
Rose Propagation - Week 4

Happy Gardening!

Rose and Geranium Propagation - One Week Later

It has been one week since I planted the rose and geranium leaf and stem cuttings. The bags were looking somewhat deflated, so I decided to open them up to have a look inside and to give the plants some fresh air.

The geranium plant bags had the most moisture locked in. See how wet the inside of the bags are? The rose stems, however, had minimal moisture. I wonder if it's because the leafy geranium leaves "breathe" more.
The first bag I opened was the geranium stems and whole leaves. The plant leaves looked lush and healthy. I have the most confidence in the success of this propagation.
You can see that this container has one geranium stem and then lots of leaves. I'm not sure if the leaves will actually grow, but it is optimistic that they haven't wilted yet.
The cut-up geranium leaf experiment seems to be doing fine. The edges of the leaves have healed over, but the rest of the leaf is still fresh looking. I don't have much confidence in the success of these leaf cuttings, but I'm still curious if it will work.
As you can see, my rose stems aren't in the greatest condition. They came from a mostly finished bouquet, and the leaves you see now were already wilted by the time I planted these stems. The stems themselves, however, are still green.
It also appears that the stem buds are still alive as well.
The top of this lower bud was already wilted when I planted it, but the base is still green. This could be a losing battle, but I'm going to give it a good run before I give up. If these rose stems don't work, I'll find some fresher rose stems to try again.

How are your garden projects coming along? Any luck?

UPDATES!

Rose and Geranium Propagation - Week 1
Rose and Geranium Propagation - Week 2
Rose and Geranium Propagation - Week 3
Rose Propagation - Week 4

Happy Gardening!

How To Propagate Roses and Geraniums Using Stems

It's recession time, and we're all trying to save money, right? Well, it's the perfect time to make more of whatever plants you have available. In my case, I have one pretty red geranium, and a few fading rose stems from a bouquet. I'm not sure if the roses are in good enough shape to propagate, but it was worth a try.

To begin with, gather all your supplies. You will need rose stems about 6 inches long, or with at least 3 buds (points where leaves can sprout out from). Keep 2 strong leaves on the top bud. I have none available on mine, so I just kept those tiny, wimpy leaves under the flower.

For geraniums, choose stems with 3-5 leaf joints, and remove all leaves except two strong ones from the top. Do not leave flower buds as they take energy away from rooting.

You will also need sharp scissors or cutters, rooting powder, a pot, and sterile potting soil (light and fluffy kind so roots grow easily). You will also need a small spoon or pencil.

While you are working, keep your roses in water so they stay fresh.
Fill your pot to the top with the sterile potting soil.
Firm down the soil lightly all over.
Make a deep hole in the soil.
Cut the rose stems just below the last bud, and wound the stem once by scraping your scissor down the the stem. The roots will grow from the wound and bottom edges.
Dip the stem into the rooting powder and shake off the excess powder. Be careful not to inhale the powder or to touch it. Wear gloves if necessary.
Put the stem into the hole. You can add more stems into the same pot as long as their leaves don't touch. My sad rose stems don't even have real leaves so I can add more stems without any worries.
Firm the soil around the stem and water generously. Allow water to settle and drain for a bit so it doesn't pool in the bag.
Place the pot into a clear plastic bag (like the kind you find in the produce section in supermarkets). Gather the bag opening together and blow air inside. This adds carbon dioxide and makes it so the bag doesn't collapse onto your plant. Twist the bag closed and tie it with an elastic band or twist tie.
Keep the cuttings moist at all times. While there are no roots, the cutting will depend on photosynthesis from the remaining leaves, and from moisture in the bag. Some gardeners recommend opening the bag and closing it each day to let in fresh air. You can also check to ensure that the soil stays moist (not sopping wet). The cuttings should initially be placed in a bright location with indirect sunlight until they have taken root.

It will take 4 to 8 weeks before the cuttings take root. Some varieties of roses will root faster than others. You can tell that they are doing well if the cuttings stay alive and grow extra leaves.
I used the same method to propagate my geranium plant.
I am also experimenting with leaf cuttings. I know leaf cuttings are possible for begonias, but I'm not sure if it is possible for geraniums. I didn't want to waste the big leaves I cut off from the geranium stems, so I tried it anyways. I'll keep you posted on whether it works.

UPDATES!

Rose and Geranium Propagation - Week 1
Rose and Geranium Propagation - Week 2
Rose and Geranium Propagation - Week 3
Rose Propagation - Week 4

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Here are some other resources on propagating roses:
How to propagate roses by cuttings
How to propagate roses

Here is some info on leaf propagation for begonias:
Begonia propagation for newbies

Happy gardening!