I am experimenting with this right now. I snipped six separate cuttings from my neighbor's rose plants here in Southern Maine. I cut them on a 45 degree angle, dipped three of the stems in water, then in rooting powder and finally into a potato. The other three I did not use rooting powder. I planted my cuttings in a raised garden box (that has had vegetables growing in it previous summers) and after a few days realized that an inverted plastic bottle would work as a greenhouse. I then learned that I should provide the new plants with shade during the hottest part of the day. After a couple weeks, I tugged on all six of the cuttings and realized that the three cuttings that were not dipped in rooting powder would easily pull out of the soil. The three cuttings that were dipped in rooting powder are secure in the soil. At this point, I do not know when to remove the plastic bottles and next steps after that.
I am torn about what to do.
1) Should I keep the plastic bottles on them for the rest of the summer?
2) Should I leave the cuttings in the garden box all winter and cover with an extra layer of mulch?
3) Should I plant them in a pot and bring them in the house for the winter and replant next spring?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
