Re: Snapdragons and roses
- Subject: Re: Snapdragons and roses
- From: T* a* M* R*
- Date: Tue, 16 Apr 2002 09:33:36 +1200
Gunnar Dath wrote:
>
> Dear All,
> after being absent for some time joined the list again some time ago and
> enjoyed reading about other people's interest in snapdragons; I love them,
> too, and me too, I live in Greece. Here in the southern Peloponnese they
> seem to thrive after the winter. We had fewer torrential rainfalls than
> others in Greece, but good rain nonetheless. However they seldom or never
> self seed. My plants are sturdy and were planted out form seedlings I
> started two years ago.
>
> Now: I have seen two roses that I just w a n t ... I know that plants will
> grow better if you steal cuttings rather than ask for them ;=), and I know
> where to pinch a few shoots on plants where the damage won't be visible.
> Question: when is the right time to take cuttings? Can one take cuttings?
> One of the two is a wonderful bushy rose with small, pink flowers and the
> other is a wonderful, wonderful orange and pink climbing type. (I have
> noticed a few other cars -except mine- that have stopped on the road just to
> have a look!)
>
Gunnar
The easiest rose cuttings to root seem to be well-ripened shoots of the
current years growth taken during winter dormancy and planted out in a
garden bed in the shade..
Having said that I must tell you a little story about cuttings taken at
a very different season.
Many years ago my eldest son, who was then a late teenager, bought, with
a friend, an awful old car. After weeks of work they actually got it to
go and one Christmas day (early summer in our hemisphere) Pat proudly
offered to take us for a drive. This eventually led us past the local
botanical research station where the caretakers house had a hedge of the
New Dawn rose in full bloom. I happened to remark quite innocently how I
would like to have a plant of this and to my horror the lad stopped the
car and in an instant approached the hedge with his pocket knife and
took several cuttings. I was on tenterhooks that the owner might come
out and protest, but fortuntely no one appeared.
Anyway after the manner of stolen cuttings the shoots when planted in a
shady part of a border did take root and I had this rose for just over
twenty years until it mysteriously fell dead some time last winter. The
house and hedge from which it came were demolished many years ago.
I don't think I shall try to get the same variety again (though it is
freely available in the trade from nurseries specilizing in
old-fashioned roses), as although pretty and floriferous it is also
abominably thorny.
Moira
--
Tony & Moira Ryan
Wainuiomata - at the Southern tip of North Island, NZ,
Lat 41°15'S, Long 174°58'E (Antipodes of Spain/Southern France)
