Rose cutting methods throughout the four seasons
This article introduces the content about roses, specifically the cutting methods for roses throughout the year, which will certainly be of help to you. Let's learn about it together!
Rose cuttings can be done throughout the year, but it is preferable to use woody branches in winter or autumn, while green branch cuttings in summer require attention to water management and temperature control. Otherwise, it is not easy for them to root. Winter cuttings are generally carried out in greenhouses or plastic tunnels, and if done in the open field, measures to increase humidity should be taken. Cuttings are mainly divided into hard wood cuttings and green wood cuttings.
> Hard wood cutting
Hard wood cutting, also known as dormant branch cutting, is done from the time the roses shed their leaves in autumn to the time before they sprout in spring, using one-year-old branches. Usually, branches that are disease and pest-free, with full wood and plump buds, cut during winter pruning, are selected as cuttings. The cuttings are 10-12 cm long with 3-4 buds.
A raised bed is prepared in a dry, sunny, and wind-protected area as the cutting bed. After leveling the land, it is covered with plastic film first, then the cuttings are inserted, which helps to increase the soil temperature and promote root growth. The cuttings are inserted into the soil 1/2 to 2/3 of their length, with one bud left above the soil surface, spaced 8-10 cm apart, with about 100-140 plants per square meter.
After planting, the cuttings usually root around the end of February in the Yangtze River Valley and new shoots appear in March. They can be transplanted in May to June. If hard wood cuttings are done in October, they can root before winter and sprout in spring, resulting in better seedling quality.
> Green wood cutting
Green wood cutting, also known as soft wood cutting, is done during the growing period of roses using the current year's new shoots. It is generally carried out from June to October in the summer and autumn. When the top flowers of the new shoots wither, the branch sections below the flowers, which are full and have plump buds, are cut as cuttings. The cuttings are 10 cm long with three buds, with the upper cut 0.6-0.8 cm from the tip of the bud and the lower cut 0.2-0.3 cm from the base of the bud, and the leaves at the node where the cutting is inserted into the bed are removed.
The above-ground part is kept with 1-2 nodes and leaves, with 1-2 leaves, and some small leaves are cut off as needed. The cutting bed is filled with clean river sand or other loose and breathable materials such as vermiculite, perlite, or rice hull ash. The spacing between cuttings is 4-5 cm, with 400-600 cuttings per square meter.
For large-scale production, an automatic sprinkler system can be set up for full sunlight seedlings, while for smaller scales, a spray gun connected to a tap can be used to manually control the sprinkling time. The cuttings usually root in about 10-15 days and can be transplanted after about 20 days.
The experience and tips on rose cutting methods throughout the four seasons shared above are hoped to bring you some help after reading this article!