Taking a rose cutting?

[HoracetheHedgehog]

Hi

We're moving house tomorrow (I know I've left it quite late to ask ) and I'd really like to take a cutting from a rose plant that's in the garden at the moment. I've never taken a cutting before, although have seen my mum do it, so need complete instructions please. Can anyone help?

TIA

Ok, here goes.

You need nice clean secateurs and a fairly deep pot filled with gritty compost that's damp not wet. A pot about the size of a pint mug, not so deep. mix sand or grit with ordinary compost about 1/4 sand to 3/4 compost. And a plastic bag to go over the top of the pot and an elastic band to keep it on.

Look for stems that do not have flowers on them. Cut them about 6-8 inches long if you can, then cut again at an angle just below where a leaf comes out. Strip off all the leaves except maybe a little one at the top. Insert in compost to about half their length. Do as many as you can, they won't all take. At least 8. Pop the bag over them (not touching them) put on the elastic band and put them somewhere outside that's shady.

As soon as you can at the new house make a slit trench, sprinkle some grit or sand at the bottom, and transfer the cuttings into this. Keep it weeded but don't fiddle. Don't expect anythign to happen fast.

Check in the spring to see if any are growing.

Of course many roses are not grown on their own roots but are grafted onto others, so even if one takes the flowers will be the same but it may not be as strong or big (or be bigger) than your current one.

Good luck

Thanks MTA - sounds complicated but I'll give it a go tonight (in the middle of all the last-minute packing!)

I've coated the base of the stems in rooting powder for greater success with this.