You should root rose cuttings in water or soil using a soil mix rather than plain water. Soil propagation roses succeed about 80% of the time. Water rooting works only about 20% of the time. The difference comes down to what kind of roots your cuttings develop.
I learned this through painful trial and error with my first batch of rose cuttings. The ones I put in water on my kitchen windowsill grew beautiful white roots in about three weeks. When I tried to plant them in the garden, those delicate roots snapped and crumbled the moment I touched soil. Every single water-rooted cutting died within a week of transplanting.
The cuttings I started in potting mix looked less impressive at first. Their roots grew slower and stayed hidden in the soil. But when I unpotted them to check progress, those roots were thick and sturdy. They handled the move to the garden bed without any damage at all.
Water propagation roses develop roots that work great in water but fail in solid ground. These water roots lack the structural cells that soil roots build from the start. Think of them as adapted for swimming when they need to be built for digging. The transition stress kills most cuttings before they can adjust.
Your rose cutting rooting medium makes a big difference in how strong those roots grow. Pure potting soil holds too much water and invites rot. Sand drains too fast and dries out your cuttings. The sweet spot is a 50-50 mix of perlite and peat moss that stays moist without getting soggy.
This blend drains well enough to prevent fungal problems but holds onto enough moisture for roots to form. The perlite creates air pockets so roots can breathe. The peat moss holds water near the cut end where new roots emerge first.
Skip the water glass method despite what you see online. Even if some cuttings survive the transplant shock, you've wasted weeks growing roots that won't serve the plant well. Start your cuttings in the right medium from day one and they'll grow strong roots ready for garden life from the start.
Fill a small pot or tray with your perlite and peat mix. Moisten it before inserting cuttings. Poke holes with a pencil so you don't scrape off rooting hormone when pushing stems in. Keep the medium damp but never wet and you'll see sturdy soil roots in four to six weeks that transplant with ease.
Read the full article: How to Grow Roses from Cuttings
