-Ideally you want a stem that is the diameter of a pencil which has recently bloomed and shattered. I remove the bottom two leaflets and only leave the top three leaflets. Then I cut two 1" long slices out of the bark with a box cutter in order to expose the reproductive layer of tissue. Make sure the wound starts on one side of the bud eye ring and ends on the other. Avoid cutting too deep and cutting into the wood. Once I've made the cuts I dip mine in rooting hormone and shake off the excess.

-You want to use a sterile coarse, well drained medium. I mix a soil that is equal parts Sphagnum Peat Moss, Vermiculite, and Perlite.

-Make sure you poke a hole in the bottom of the cup for it to drain. If you moisten the soil and the water doesn't run out the bottom, stick your hole making tool in there and then pull it out. The water will follow it.

-I use a baggie to create a humid greenhouse effect. Not everyone has to use them, but it works for me. I would suggest it.

-Yes sun, but indirect sun. Something like bright shade.

-I put mine outside, but move them in at night to protect them from the low temps. With the baggie you should be able to avoid the problem of dry air inside homes, but since I have never tried this I can't offer advice about it.

Josh

Among the articles for reading on the Gold Coast Heritage Roses Group website, you'll find a whole heap of articles on propagation of roses from cuttings.

(See link, herewith)

Kim Rupert also has a blog, discussing his "Burrito" method:
http://pushingtheroseenvelope.blogspot.com/

A very wise rosarian told me, once, that if a rose doesn't root for you, you may be using the wrong method FOR THAT ROSE, or you may be doing it at the wrong time FOR THAT ROSE. So reading through all this material will give you many methods to experiment with.

Jeri

Here is a link that might be useful: ARTICLES: Gold Coast HRG

You will find there are as many ways to root roses as there are roses to root. Josh's method is similar to mine but everyone adds their own tweaks to the system. What ever method you choose you'll find you'll have to make adjustments to suit your needs.

I haven't had very good luck with indoor attempts at rooting so I do all mine outside. However, I do know that many people do indoor rooting and it works for them.

You can use both soft and hard wood but the methods are different. If you want to do hard wood (older canes) rootings there are several threads on the propagation forum about a method called the "burrito". It works very well and may be the way for you.

I do soft wood cuttings like Josh. I use clear plastic drinking cups (so I can see when they are rooted) with holes punched in the bottom for drainage and filled with SEED starter soil. Make sure it is already moistened and take a pencil and make a hole in the soil to place the cutting into so it won't wipe off the rooting hormone.

I cut stems below a spent bloom about 12 inches long. Take off the dead bloom just below the hip. At the other end I GENTLY scrap off the green outer bark with a knife or scissors exposing the white cambium layer. Remove any leaves that will be below the soil line. Dip the end of the cutting in some water and then into the rooting powder. If you're using liquid rooting hormone you don't need to wet the stem. With the powdered hormone I gently tap the side to get off any excess powder. Then place the stem into the hole in the soil and gently firm the soil around it. I will tap the bottoms of the cups on the table to make sure there are no air pockets. Water them in a little and put them where you want to grow them.

This is where there are a lot of differences. Some people will put covers over them to make a kind of greenhouse or terrarium to hold in moisture. Zip Lock bags or pop bottles or jars. I don't do that. They go outside, in full sun, with the rest of my seedlings and roses. But moisture is the most important thing. Too little and they'll dry up and die. Too much and they'll rot. I check mine daily and water when necessary and I have very high humidities most of the time so it works for me. If you live someplace very dry you may want to cover them.

What ever method you decide on it will take a few attempts to get consistent results. It's not an exact science. Don't be afraid to experiment until you find the one that works best for you. Learn from your failures and try again!

Thanks for explaining this method so clearly. I had already written down your directions a while back and I'm working up the courage to try it. I have just one minor question: how far do you insert the cutting into the seed starting soil in the cup?
Thanks again. Diane