Air Layerin Roses? Success at last!

[Izhar]

Air layering works best when the plant is growing actively.... which is the cooler season for roses...

[aykhan]

There must be a sweet window for lahore since the only active growing season is the flowering season and before the flowering is done intense heat starts. In the Fall before the ends it gets cold. I was just wondering when that successful air layering was done? I am thinking maybe the best time to do it in lahore would be March after the first flush of flowers and pray that April is not too hot. Sometimes temps by end of April can reach 40 plus easily!

[dragoonsers]

Hello, Sorry for I have been busy with my exams. Medicine is not easy I have learnt

Anyways. I have tried layering roses in summers, during monsoons and even spring. Yet it never worked! Why? Because I read (in an article by the ARS which I can't find anymore), that roses root best in a temperature of 15 to 25 C. For Karachi, its the winter month of December.

Second, I tried peat moss, coco-peat, sphagnum, compost whatever you name it. A quick review about these:
Peat Moss: Good but tends to absorb too much water- rots the callous
Coco-peat: Same as peat but slightly better
Compost: Good but I feel the same problem of too much water

So what worked? Simple 'baloo mitti', cocopeat and gobar ki khad (manure) in a 2:2:1 ratio. Make sure khad is well composted!

Method I guess you guys can view youtube or on the web. Some pointers though:
1. Make sure the layered area or the plastic etc is not in direct sun (plastic will act as a greenhouse and cook everything!)
2. If it is in direct sun, make sure you use a bigger "ball" of medium so that heat cannot penetrate to the stem! (I hope that makes sense)
3. Use a rooting hormone- which should not be expired. I used NAA and IBA 4%.
4. Sterilize the medium! In the oven for 1 hour at 200C!
5. Use clean blades, wipe with alcohol. I used surgery blades and a scalped, worked perfectly (perks of being a medical student!)
6. When you water the medium, or wet it, add an all purpose fungicide to the water.
7. Wet the medium and then wrap it around. Never wrap and then water!
8. Don't disturb the medium for atleast 3 weeks! And only open it if you feel it is dry, in which case, water it just to moisten it.
9. Before wrapping, squeeze as much of extra moisture as you can from the medium!
10. A forming callous means roots are on the way, so be patient! (it takes about 4 to 6 weeks to form a good root system!)

Lastly, only try layering those which set root. Not all roses root easily (hence many are grafted-especially HTs). Search the internet, to look for roses which are sold as own-root (it means they root well) and try em! Beginners should try double-delight/icebergs/desi/austin roses. Some floribundas/climbers root well like golden showers, or fourth of july!

I hope that covers it. If any questions, do post!

Oh and one more thing, its not always practical to go by the book! I mean, nobody says air-layer in the winter even for Karachi, but it works!

[Izhar]

Nice post Hamza... share some pics of the progress...

[aykhan]

Thanks Hamza for this wonderful information summarized beautifully. I think now might me the right time to layer some in Lahore too. Temps seem to be just right for now.

[aykhan]

Oh! Best of luck with your exams and all. Being a doctor myself I know it's not easy being a medical student. Actually congrats for taking the time out to enjoy gardening!

[AhmadIrfan]

Great sharing unfortunately I air layered my plants this mornin becoz i thought the temperature was just right, I simply used canal silt as I do with my.other plants

[dragoonsers]

Nice post Hamza... share some pics of the progress...

I would soon. I potted them up, and repotted them yesterday into 6inch pots. Growing beautifully mA. Snipped the buds so they make roots!

Thanks Hamza for this wonderful information summarized beautifully. I think now might me the right time to layer some in Lahore too. Temps seem to be just right for now.

I guess so. Lahore summers are excruciatingly hot for air layering!! And thank you for the wishes!

Great sharing unfortunately I air layered my plants this mornin becoz i thought the temperature was just right, I simply used canal silt as I do with my.other plants

Canal silt is perfect! Just make sure it doesn't dry out- keep it moist!

[dragoonsers]

Couple more things:

1. Light shouldn't reach the stem to the plastic- biologically, roots grow in the dark! (though there are exceptions). If light goes through to the stem, tough luck getting roots.

2. Pick a healthy, disease free rose which is growing.

3. NAA I used was the local one sold under the STEDEC brandname as "Phytofix"; easily available.

4. To seal/tie the plastic, use either good quality tape or thick steel wire(i used wires). Strings and ropes don't tend to seal in the moisture effectively.

And do post when you're successful so we get to know which varieties can be propaganda this way! Today, century two is also showing roots!
And I meant a scalpel, not scalped


Best,

Hamza

[aykhan]

There's no problem as long as you're scalping just roses

What so you mean by light getting into the plastic? As far as I know light will stimulate root growth that's why cuttings are advised to be preferably put in dappled light rather than total shade?