ROSES ON THEIR OWN ROOTS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20644, 16 February 1929, Page 3

ROSES ON THEIR OWN ROOTS.

Gardeners differ as to the benefit to be gained by growing roses on their own roots. Seine say that better and more flowers are obtained in this way than from “worked” plants. Any amateur who wishes to produce roses on their own roots may strike them from cuttings taken in autumn from plump new wood, not quite ripe, but almost so. Strong-growing hybrid perpetuals can all be made into standards by disbudding. Cuttings must not be topped if intended for standards, and they should be kept close and well shaded. Frequent waterings should bo given, in order that they may not become exhausted while a callus is forming at the base of each cutting. Should the cuttings bo insufficiently ripe to insert without topping, they should bo • made with two joints and one leaf in this manner: Cut the shoot close above the bud. Remove the lowest leaf, but not the bud belonging to it; and leave the next bud above the lowest leaf untouched- The leaf belonging to that bud must not be in any way damaged. It is better to place them singly in email pots, as they can remain longer without being disturbed, although they may be rooted in quantities in pans. These must be filled with sandy soil and pressed in rtrfner hard. Nest make v hole ■ *h a stick and place the cutting in y close to the base of the leaf, pre .j the soil firmly to it. Then plunge the pots or pans in moist bottom heat. Where available, there is nothing better for this purpose than a cucumber frame with two thicknesses of mats over it; these must not be touched for 18 hours, after which they should be taken off every night and replaced each morning; then in another week they can U removed altogether on the first cloudy day. The cuttings require to be shaded from the heat of the sun at mid-day, then to be allowed plenty of sun and air. The top buds will have started by this time, the pots will be full of roots, and the plants be quite ready to set into bigger pots, using a compost of three parts loam, one part old manure, and enough sand to make it light. They may be hardened off and set out by the end of April [October in New Zealand], and when quite settled and rooted in their new soil they should be topped and allowed to form their heads during the summer without blooming. If cuttings with rather firm tops' ran be obtained, they may be used (our or five joints long, and placed at once in the open ground covered by hand lights; but they must be kept from flagging by regular attention, for, if the tops onpe get bent, they may never come straight again. Water sparingly until v rooted, and - remove any leaves that ** damp off ” at first.—Donald M'Donald, , F.L.6 U in the London Daily Telegraph. fc; .. ■