Hello everybody, this is my first post to this site. I am from the So Cal area and have been dabbling in roses for a few years now. For all my research about rose cuttings, I have typically read about the cuttings needing to be at least "pencil" thickness but I have never read anything regarding thick canes, i.e, 1/2 inch and thicker. It is green and from this years growth. I am trying to get it to work anyway and was wondering from all the experts out there, "am I wasting my time?".

Thank you for your time!

Hi, SoCalGuy, and welcome!

I've used canes of all thicknesses to root cuttings. If I went by the pencil thickness thing I wouldn't ever be able to root any miniatures at all. They are rarely pencil thick! The only thing I've ever heard is that canes that have just bloomed seemed to root more easily as they are already primed for new growth. Anyway, it never hurts to try rooting them. You really have nothing to lose!

What Seil said. I'd say pencil-thick is close to the max for most of the cuttings I make, particularly when you consider that the ideal cutting is flowering growth that has come off of a branch that has been deadheaded. If that is available, I cut it about a cm below the older growth to get that yummy growth junction. Then I make a cut on either side of the growth junction (I do a filet cut), dip in powdered rooting hormone, and place it. If I can't get a growth junction, I do the same with a regular stem.

Very true about the miniatures (LOL) and thanks for the replies. I will just experiment and see what happens The fun of it I suppose.