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Propagate Garden Roses With The Help Of Aloe Vera, Here's How
By ANDREA MARVIN
Instead of seeds, propagate roses from cuttings using aloe vera, which contains enzymes that stimulate root growth and protect the cuttings from fungal and bacterial infection.
To try this propagation method, you’ll need aloe vera, well-draining soil, small containers, and some rose stems cut in early spring or summer after they’ve finished blooming.
Choose flexible stems as thick as a pencil that have three to five leaf nodes. Cut 10-inch-long pieces just above a bud eye, leaving only the top two leaves, and put them in water.
Next, cut an aloe vera leaf into pieces and make slits in the gel. Fill the containers with soil, insert the aloe pieces gel side up, and push the cuttings into the slits you made.
Finally, cover at least two bud eyes with soil. Instead of using an aloe vera leaf, you can also dip your cuttings in aloe vera gel or powder mixed with distilled water.
Place the potted cuttings in a warm spot with indirect light. Two to four weeks later, see if the roots have sprouted by gently tugging on the cutting to check for any resistance.
Once established, transplant your roses in spring to a sunny spot with well-draining soil in your yard. You can expect about half of your rose cuttings to survive to maturity.