Do you remember my rose cuttings? I took them back in December and posted a tutorial at the time on growing roses from cuttings. I'm afraid the poor things have done it hard since then. Overcrowded to start with then left to bake in the hot sun on my kitchen windowsill while I went on holidays for a month.
Before I left the few that browned off straight away were removed as soon as I noticed, fungal problems are common with rose cuttings and its good to weed them out before it spreads. Stems go brown at the top or bottom and this means the cuttings are goners (see cutting on the right of the pot, below). On the other hand its common for existing leaves to brown and drop off, make sure you remove these occasionally to keep things happy, but if the stem's still green leave it there.
When I got back from holidays I pulled out more dead stems and put this pot which I didn't hold much hope for, still in its plastic bag/greenhouse out in a shadier spot. And then I promptly forgot about it again.
Today when I remembered it again, I noticed a green leaf through the bag and when I took it off here is what I found. One dead stem but also one live cutting, healthy roots appearing from the bottom of the pot, new leaves appearing at three growth tips.
This time of year is great for cuttings, I noticed May's rose (above) is covered in flowers. If these had failed I still have another chance to try again this summer.
If you get this far be gentle on your cutting, don't pull it out of its sheltered world too quickly, keep the bag over it but slowly introduce more air, keep it in the shade.
This poor thing will be looked after from here on in. I'm feeling like a bad parent and I plan to overcompensate with lots of attention and love. Until I get distracted again!
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