I am not new to Horticulture . I studied in San Diego at Cuyamaca College. I moved back to S TX and I am having FITS trying to propagate my roses.... Is there something to help them here???? I have had no luck all the cuttings turn black no matter the media used or the husbandry tried. I am at a loss to explain this.... Any good ideas??? Thank Cat
Stock plants probably have blackspot and other fungi spores. These are spread by hand and by splashing water. You will need to dip cuttings in a fungicide before striking if stock is not clean. If your stock is clean: 1. Recut with a razor blade before striking. 2. If you use rooting hormone, knock excess off before striking. 3. Reduce foliage on cutting to a minimum 4. Bright light before 10 am and after 4 pm but 50% shade between. 5. Don't water at all without some visible cutting stress then water minimally and don't water foliage, only the sustrate. 6. No water after 3 pm 7. Substrate that drains easily: Clean sand (cooked in an oven if necessary) with a little peat moss(10%) added. 8. Winter cuttings will need a lighting schedule longer then twelve hours bright enough to convince the cutting it is spring. They will need lighting until sprin occurs because once struck the cutting must produce a 'flush' before going dormant or it will die. 9. Grow lites aren't needed . Just enough light to make the cutting believe it is spring probably 100 watt bulb, 4 feet above cutting every 10 feet of bench.
Thanks, I had not thought about the fungi spores....It seems nearly all roses in TX have Blackspot... So I will treat the cuttings with fungicide.... I will try them in the house this winter and see if maybe some take... Great info! Cat
