Potting up Air Layered Roses

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Potting up Newly Rooted Roses from Air Layering.  Air layering is a faster way to get bigger roses than cuttings and it is just as fun!

A couple of weeks ago I shared my post on How to Air Layer Roses to propagate them and how easy it was.   I had many ask me how to sever and pot up the rose once I felt it had a good root system.  

I am now ready to share that. Here you go, Potting up Newly Rooted Roses!

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1. Check your rose is ready.

Before proceeding check to see how big of a root mass the rose has grown.  Open up your bottle and check.  

See all those roots!  This one is ready to be severed from the mother plant and potted up on its own.

Potting Up Newly Rooted Roses. Air layering is a fast and fun way to propagate roses. Here is how to pot up your new roses, grow more roses or save some of your favorites.

I have to tell on myself here, the soil or coir wrapped around the cane was rather dry.  I was amazed since in much hotter weather it had stayed moist with little watering.  

All I can assume is since it now had roots that it was really drinking up the water and I was not paying close enough attention to it.

So learn from me, once you know it has roots really keep on top of keeping it moist.  The top of the bottle is easy enough to pour water into.

2. Separate from mother rose.

Using sharp and clean pruners cut the newly rooted cane from the mother plant.  I chose about an inch BELOW the root mass.

Potting Up Newly Rooted Roses. Air layering is a fast and fun way to propagate roses. Here is how to pot up your new roses, grow more roses or save some of your favorites.

Why did I emphasize below?  Because reading in some garden forums some folks have actually cut above it for some reason.  I just wanted to make sure you knew the right spot to cut.

3. Hydrate

Keep a small bucket of lukewarm water nearby that sink the root mass into.  You want the new rose to be very well-hydrated before planting it into the pot or into the ground.

Potting Up Newly Rooted Roses. Air layering is a fast and fun way to propagate roses. Here is how to pot up your new ros

Look at that fabulous root mass.  This rose is going to take off in no time and be a wonderful addition to my garden.  

If you know where you want to place this new rose plant then proceed to plant it into the ground but this one is going into a container or pot.

Potting Up Newly Rooted Roses. Air layering is a fast and fun way to propagate roses. Here is how to pot up your new ros

4. Pot it up

You want it to get a great start so use good quality organic potting soil.  Fill the bottom of the pot with the potting soil and place the rose in, making sure the roots will all be well covered by soil.  The pot size is relative, use what you have, and what the rose needs to fill out a good root system.

Water the now potted rose well, and get that soil well hydrated.

Potting Up Newly Rooted Roses. Air layering is a fast and fun way to propagate roses. Here is how to pot up your new roses.

A ten gallon pot should work great to let the rose really fill in but if you will be potting it out into the garden soon a smaller size will work as well.

5. Baby it over winter.

If not putting it out into the ground and you are in a garden zone that gets very low temperatures then placing this in a sheltered place is essential.

You can wrap the pot with fleece or other protective material, set it up against your house, or you can bury it in the ground to protect the roots.

As much as I love starting roses from cuttings, this method gives me a much larger plant faster and has been just as easy for me.

Potting Up Newly Rooted Roses. Air layering is a fast and fun way to propagate roses. Here is how to pot up your new roses.

Note:  I started this process on July 15th.  I separated and potted it up on September 25th.  It was ready by the Sept. 15th but I did not have time to get to potting it up.  I had checked it for roots back in mid-August so it had developed roots then.  

I wanted to give it more time to develop a much bigger root system before cutting it from the mother plant so I waited an additional month.  The total time for it to develop a good root system was 8 weeks from the start.

This new Pierre de Ronsard (Eden) rose is now gracing my cousin’s garden. I will do this again to create another start for a new Rose garden I am creating. Hopefully I will get video for you!

Happy Planting!

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Potting Up Newly Rooted Roses. Air layering is a fast and fun way to propagate roses. Here is how to pot up your new roses.
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7 Comments

  1. Tommy Phillips says:

    Thanks for the article. I bought some of the air rooting containers in the spring but just trying them now. My roses are still blooming up a storm. Live in north Louisiana. Been 2 weeks since I started this process. Going to wait another week or so before potting then.

  2. I actually have a couple others I am trying this on but I started in August and they have yet to root. It is commonly done while the plants are actively growing but I have heard about others starting in Fall, I just have not done it myself. But I think I shall so I am putting it on my list to go ahead and try another.

  3. I love your blog! Can I do this air-layering in the autumn or is it best to wait until summer?
    Also, where wil you “baby” your new rose over winter?

  4. Thank you Charlene. I am pleased at the size of the plant and how healthy it is so far. The roots did develop fast and I am actually a bit surprised at how successful I was with it. I am such a sloppy, lazy gardener that I figured it would be a finicky process and a total fail. So this working is testimony to how easy it really can be. 🙂 I have more painting stuff up my sleeve as well. 🙂

  5. Yes, this can be done on any rose. I choose to only propagate non patented roses as propagating patented plant is strictly prohibited by law. It protects the folks that went to a lot of trouble and expense creating a new rose variety. But there are tons of old or non patented roses to choose from to use this method. Being you live in a different growing zone the time frame of when you would do this may be different. My roses do not start blooming until mid to late June. Sometimes the weather we have had does affect this date but that is the average. A good rule of thumb (and I should add this to the original post) is to use a cane that has just finished blooming.

  6. Margie Dulany says:

    Thank you for this post, Pamela. I love in Southeast Texas. Could that method be used here, also? And can it be done on any rose bush?

    Thank you. Margie Dulany

  7. Charlene Bryant says:

    Hi Pamela,

    The new start looks very healthy and happy!! I’ve never seen it done that way before but I can see how one would try it. The roots came on quickly too. Looking forward to seeing how it’s doing later in the season : )

    Happy Fall and I’ve enjoyed your painting videos too.

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