Taken rose cutting, it’s growing well. What next?

[RationalIrrational]

Every time I take a rose cutting, I get as far as it growing leaves in a jar of water. But when I then transplant the rose into a pot, it dies. Do I need rooting powder? Something else? Can someone give me an idiots guide to what to do next? I have lots of fresh compost made over the past year.

Rose roots are pretty pathetic, most good quality roses are grafted onto something like a bramble. No idea how to actually do that.

Have you tried putting the cuttings into soil @RationalIrrational ? I think, although I stand to be corrected, that water roots are different to 'proper' roots.

Your compost might be too rich for them at this stage. I've done them into a fairly poor nutrition earth/used compost/leaf mould/grit (good drainage is important) mix and have placed the cuttings four to a pot round the sides. Cut straight across below a node at the bottom and diagonally at the top, above a node.

They took a while but did work and once they were growing fairly strongly leafwise I transplanted them into their own pots. You can do it straight into the ground too but I haven't tried that.

Ah I didn’t know this. I can probably craft it but it seems a lot of work! It’s not just me then.

Yes I’ve tried soil in the past but they just die. Maybe it is the compost. I’ve done 2 to a pot and singles, but they never seem to take after the initialgrowth in water. Maybe it’s the soil… I haven’t tried straight into the ground because they never seem strong enough. Might add some extra grit in case the soil isnt draining enough. Thank you!

I had some success taking hardwood rose cuttings last autumn. My method was simple: I cut just below a leaf node, left a single leaf on the top, and chose stems that were roughly the size and thickness of a pencil. After placing them in regular multipurpose compost around the edge of a pot then put them in the greenhouse, I covered them with a clear plastic bag for about three weeks to hold in the humidity, and then just left them to it, giving them an occasional watering.
It is definitely a lesson in patience, but this spring I’ve been able to plant out an incredible selection: David Austin’s Scepter'd Isle, Queen of Sweden, Strawberry Hill, and Eustacia Vye, alongside Double Delight, Ghislaine de Féligonde, and a couple of others of unknown origin. I really believe some rose varieties take to propagation much better than others, but with a 50% success rate across the board, I reckon I’ve saved myself around £150!
I also experimented with growing from seed by removing them from the hips of Super Fairy. I left them in the garage fridge for a few months to fool them into a winter chill, then planted them up on the windowsill. To my amazement, I now have five healthy baby roses in pots out in the garden.
To be honest, I am always utterly astonished whenever anything actually grows—but seeing those tiny seeds turn into actual plants blew me away. I proudly showed my family, and they just shrugged, completely missing the magic of it! But for me, it is such a pure joy to see them out in the garden. It costs absolutely nothing to try, so keep trying.

Ooh @Jackdog39 now this is all the encouragement I need! My method is similar to yours except - and here’s where I’ve been going wrong. I put them in water, then compost, and no greenhouse. I reckon is the lack of heat/moisture. Will cover it with a plastic container this time. I did that for seedlings and they have flourished. Yes it’s prob the lack of humidity. Your collection sounds amazing - yes, saves loads of £££. Thanks so much!