# EMERGENCY:: Rose Trama!



## dc300a (Apr 4, 2011)

Hello all, 

Yesterday I was mowing the lawn around the house on our property that my great grandfather built. I wasnt paying attention and mowed partially over one of my great grandmother's rose bushes!

I did not cut the whole thing off, just 4 sprigs about 3ft long. They are healthy and I went today and purchased some rooting hormone and plan on trying to save the sprigs. But I have two questions... 

1) Should I try to root just the 3-3ft sprigs or cut them into several smaller cuttings and get more? 

2) I am concerned about the exsisting rose bush, where the mower blades hit are not clean cuts and I am worried about decease and/or drying out of all the stems... should I try and "prune" the stubs back to a clean edge and spray with pruning seal? OR Leave it alone and let it heal? 

Any expertise in this area would very helpful!


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

I'm not sure what the compound is called but it is used in grafting to protect cuts and grafts from disease. I recommend going to a good nursery and buying it as well as a good pair of pruning shears. You need the shears to make the cuts clean and straight for the compound.


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## rawhide2971 (Apr 19, 2013)

First I will tell you that Roses, esp old rose bushs are realaly hardy plants, much more than most people think. Make a clean cut and don't try to seal the ends, roses can be pruned at any time of the year and you should be fine. As for rooting the cut pieces I have found that's a hit or miss operation in my experience. It don't hurt to try but your success is going to be iffy at best. But it never hurts to try.
Good luck and if you take care to water and mulch I bet your bush will be fine.


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## dirtgrrl (Jun 5, 2011)

Clean cut, don't bother to seal. Sometimes all you do is seal the pathogens inside instead of letting the plant push them out. Plant sap acts like blood in that it helps cleans the wound, and then specialized cells will seal it off.

I would cut the rose canes into 6" pieces, remove the leaves, scrape (not gouge) off the lower 3" or so of thorns, dust that 3" with hormone, and place in very moist medium like peat moss, coir or vermiculite. Make sure you keep the *polarity* straight. That is, keep the base end in the rooting medium, and the tip end in the air. Cut each end differently so you know which end is which. It's remarkably hard to tell with all the leaves off sometimes, trust me. If you get it wrong, it'll sprout leaves but die just as fast with no roots to support it. Keep the cuttings moist and out of the sun, but not in the dark. Good luck as some roses can be difficult.


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Couple year ago I set fire ta ours (gave it ta ma when I was workin in high school!) with that there weed burner. Scorched the bygollies outa it. Figured I'd done it in. Nope, next year it were bigger an healthier then ever!


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