Taking rose cuttings is a really easy process as they will grow on their own roots. You can root the softwood cuttings in the open ground on a spare patch of land in early summer. The cuttings should be about 15-20cm (6-8in long).
The advantage of a rooted cutting is the absence of suckers – all shoots belong to the variety being grown.
Choose healthy stems of the current season’s growth and take off the lower leaves, leaving the bottom two-thirds of the stem bare, then use a sharp knife to trim off the bottom of the stem just below a leaf joint.
Nip the growing tip out of the shoot, as the tips of rose cuttings are very soft and likely to develop fungal disease.
Dip the base of the cutting into hormone rooting powder before placing it into well prepared ground. Take more than one cutting in case some don’t succeed and leave a space of at least 15cm (6in) between each.
If you are putting them straight into the ground they will need protecting with a mini cloche or a soft plastic drinks bottle cut in half. This will help build up the humidity underneath.
Alternatively, place four or five cuttings into a 20cm (8in) pot filled with seed compost and cover the pot with a large, loose polythene bag after watering them in. They can be kept in a shady spot and the compost should be kept moist.
As soon as the rose cutting starts to grow new leaves – usually a sign of rooting – then gradually take the cover off and grow the plant on as a normal potted shrub.
Your cuttings should be well rooted by the autumn and rose plants can then be potted up individually, to be planted out probably next summer. If you plant them out before then, you risk them being smothered by weeds or being trodden on and snapped.
You can wait until later in the year to propagate roses, taking hardwood cuttings in early autumn. Rooted outdoors, they should provide young plants after a year.
Remember to look after your stock once you have increased it. Now is the height of the flowering season but also the time when pests and diseases turn up to ruin all your hard work.
Watch out for blackspot, which looks like ink spots on the leaves and can destroy your roses. Mildew and rust can also be disastrous for roses and spraying may be the only solution.
However, there are so many disease-resistant types of rose on the market now, it’s worth investing in a few to give you blemish-free, glorious roses in future.