Can You Split a Rose Bush? A Complete Guide
Rose bushes are treasured additions to many gardens Their gorgeous, fragrant blooms can transform any outdoor space into a floral wonderland But after some years, your rose bush may become overgrown and congested. You may wonder – can you split a rose bush to control its size or propagate new plants?
It’s easy to divide perennials like hostas, but it takes extra care and skill to divide rose bushes. Roses deal with root disturbances in a different way than other plants. Before you do this, you should think about the risks, the right way to do it, and other options besides splitting rosebushes.
Why Dividing Plants is Beneficial
Dividing crowded plants by splitting them into smaller sections is a proven gardening technique for many perennials, ornamental grasses, bulbs, and shrubs. Potential benefits of dividing plants include:
- Controlling overgrown plants and preventing crowding
- Propagating more new plants easily
- Rejuvenating old plants with less blooms
- Reducing competition between plant clusters
- Improving air circulation and light exposure
- Stimulating new root and shoot growth
- Renewing plants by selecting the youngest offshoots
If you do it right, dividing perennials can keep your garden healthy and full of color for years. But some plants, like rose bushes, really don’t like being touched.
Why Rose Bushes Dislike Being Split
While dividing suits many perennials, rose bushes often don’t respond well for these key reasons:
- Rose roots don’t split cleanly like other plants. Tearing the roots damages the bush.
- New shoots and stems arising from a divided rose bush are often weaker than the original.
- Shock from splitting can stunt blooms and growth for 1-2 seasons afterwards.
- Roses have a deep central taproot that anchors the plant. Dividing damages this root.
- Diseases can more easily enter the bush through split roots.
- The rootstock variety affects whether roses will regrow properly when split.
Overall, dividing stresses rose bushes significantly. The shock usually hurts the plant more than any size control or healing benefits.
When Can You Consider Splitting Rose Bushes?
The risks and drawbacks make splitting rose bushes inadvisable in most cases. However, experienced rosarians may carefully divide bushes in a few specific situations:
- To propagate a valuable or rare rose variety that’s unavailable elsewhere.
- To transplant part of an overgrown bush to a different spot in the garden.
- To stimulate old, non-blooming plants that need rejuvenation.
- To rescue a declining bush by selecting and separating the healthiest stems.
Even then, focus efforts on younger, 1-3 year old plants which recover from division better than old bushes. Only divide when truly needed.
How to Minimize Damage When Splitting Rose Bushes
If you must divide an overgrown rose bush, follow these tips to minimize stress:
- Time it in early spring before new growth emerges or in fall after blooming finishes. Avoid active growth periods.
- Select a younger, vigorous shoot from the outer edge of the plant. Older interior shoots often fail after division.
- Prune off any dead or weak stems first to retain only robust shoots.
- Use sterilized, sharp bypass pruners to make clean cuts rather than tearing.
- Dig deeply to keep as many intact roots as possible when lifting the shoot.
- Replant the division at the same level it was originally growing.
- Keep the soil moist but not saturated until signs of new growth emerge.
- Prune back the shoot by 1/3 to promote root recovery and prompt new branching.
- Apply dilute Epsom salts monthly to encourage root regeneration.
Attentive follow-up care is crucial since divided bushes are high-stress plants. Patience through at least one full growing season is required to accurately gauge success.
Better Options for Rose Bush Size Control
Most of the time, pruning, transplanting, and other less invasive ways of propagation are safer and less invasive than splitting an overgrown rose bush. Some examples include:
- Pruning oldest interior stems annually to force new basal growth
- Propagating by taking stem cuttings to root rather than splitting
- Transplanting the entire bush to a larger space instead of dividing it
- Allowing wider initial spacing to accommodate mature size rather than later dividing
- Controlling size with corrective pruning methods instead of disturbing the roots
- Removing oldest plants on grafted rose rootstocks and replacing with new budded growth
Avoid digging into the root system and tearing it apart unless absolutely necessary. Use less disruptive renewal methods to sustain rose bush health and productivity for years of beauty.
The Takeaway – Splitting Rose Bushes
While splitting perennials is a common practice, rose bushes resent being divided and rarely thrive afterwards like they once did. Much better results come from proper preventive care through spacing, pruning, and propagation by cuttings. But if an overgrown rose desperately needs help, carefully dividing it in spring or fall then providing attentive aftercare can sometimes bring it back to life. Just don’t expect miracles from splitting rose bushes as with other perennials.
Taking Cuttings From Roses
Weather and other factors can impact when softwood is ready for cutting, and southern regions are very different from northern growing zones. Dont base your timing strictly on a calendar; look to your roses — and their fading blooms — instead.
Before you begin, gather these basic items:
- A clean, sharp knife or bypass pruners
- A bucket of warm water, to keep cuttings moist
- RootBoost™ Rooting Hormone
- A small dish to hold the rooting hormone for dipping
- A small stick or pencil to make planting holes
Take rose cuttings from strong, healthy plants during morning hours, when theyre well hydrated. Follow these simple steps:
- Pick a stem or stems from between a dead flower and the rose’s woody base. One stem will make several cuttings.
- Remove the bloom and stem tip. Make a 45-degree cut right above the first set of leaves at the stem’s top and again right above the last set of leaves at the stem’s base. Put cut stems in water immediately.
- For each stem, cut it into four 6- to 8-inch pieces. This is where the leaves will grow on the stems. 1 Keep cuttings moist at all times.
- Take off all the leaves but the ones at the very top of each cutting. 1. This helps cuttings grow roots and lets you see how they’re doing.
- Add a little RootBoostTM rooting hormone to the dish. Pour only what you need, and when you’re done, throw away the rest.
- Wet the bottom half of the cutting and dip it all the way through in the rooting hormone.
- Make a hole in your rooting bed or container that is 3 to 4 inches deep with a stick or pencil. It needs to be big enough so that the cutting can go in without touching the hormone.
- Put the cutting into the hole so that at least two nodes and half of the bottom half of the cutting are covered. Then, pack down the soil around it.
You can make several cuttings from a single rose stem.
Caring for New Rose Cuttings
While your cuttings take root, keep them covered and moist. In a garden bed, a simple DIY mini greenhouse does the trick. Just place a bell jar, a garden cloche or an overturned mason jar over the cutting. A clear plastic bottle with the bottom cut out and the cap removed works, too. Water the soil regularly to keep it moist, but not soggy. Your mini hothouse will keep the humidity high inside.
If your cuttings are in containers, just insert a few decorative twigs around the edge for support and fit a clear plastic bag over the top. Mist and water your cuttings, as needed, so they stay hydrated and soil stays moist. Be sure the plastic doesnt rest on your cuttings.
Most softwood rose cuttings will root within 10 to 14 days.1 To test their progress, tug very gently on the cuttings. Youll feel a slight resistance as the new roots form and grow into the soil. A gentle fish- or kelp-based fertilizer during this time provides beneficial nutrients. Once roots are established and plants show strong new growth, you can transplant your new roses to more permanent garden homes.
Roses that are old-fashioned heirlooms often root better than new hybrids. But don’t let that stop you from trying to grow garden favorites from seed and sharing your love of roses and gardening with your family and friends. RootBoost™ and GardenTech® brands are here to help you learn and succeed in all your gardening projects, so you can experience all the joys of gardening.
Always read product labels thoroughly and follow instructions carefully.
GardenTech is a registered trademark of Gulfstream Home and Garden, Inc.
RootBoost is a trademark of Tech Pac, L.L.C.
Sources:
1. University of California-Davis, “Softwood Rose Cuttings,” UC Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
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Propagating Rose Cuttings (2 Minute Guide)
FAQ
When to split a rose bush?
Divide your rose in the early spring or late fall. – Avoid dividing rose bushes when they’re in bloom.
Can you cut part of a rose bush and replant it?
Cuttings can be taken at any time of the year, but they are more likely to root successfully after flowering. Take your cuttings on a day when the temperature is between 70 and 80°F. The early morning hours are the prime time to take rose stem cuttings because the plant is well-hydrated.
Can you take a cutting from a rose bush and root it?
As long as the rose is “own-root,” you can successfully root cuttings from it. But not if the rose was grafted onto root stock from another type of rose. To find out what kind of rose it is, you would have to do some research on it.
Will a rose bush survive a transplant?
If you need to move your rose during the growing season (not dormant), you can still do it, but make sure you water it first! Here are some things you should do: A liquid vitamin B1 transplanting fertilizer will help the rose adjust to the move.
Can You Split rose bushes?
While dividing perennials like hostas is common, splitting rose bushes takes specific care and technique to do it properly. Dividing congested plants by splitting them into multiple smaller sections is a proven gardening technique for many flowering perennials, grasses, bulbs, and shrubs. Potential benefits include:
Can you divide a rose bush?
Rose bushes are notoriously finicky, a constant source of frustration for many gardeners, as they are often the focal point of a well-appointed garden. Don’t panic just yet, though; dividing a rose bush is risky, but it’s not impossible. Sometimes it must be done for the good of your flowers.
What happens if a rose bush splits?
Rose roots don’t split cleanly like other plants. Tearing the roots damages the bush. New shoots and stems arising from a divided rose bush are often much weaker than the original. Shock from splitting can stunt blooms and growth for 1-2 seasons afterwards. Roses have a deep, central taproot that anchors the plant. Dividing damages this root.
Should rosarians Split rose bushes?
The risks and drawbacks make splitting rose bushes inadvisable in most cases. However, experienced rosarians may carefully divide bushes in a few specific situations: To propagate a valuable or rare variety that’s unavailable elsewhere. To transplant part of an overgrown bush to a different location in the garden.
Why is my rose bush not dividing?
While dividing suits many perennials, rose bushes often don’t respond well for these key reasons: Rose roots don’t split cleanly like other plants. Tearing the roots damages the bush. New shoots and stems arising from a divided rose bush are often much weaker than the original.
Can You propagate Roses by dividing a plant?
However, you can also propagate roses by dividing an existing plant, but this requires a little more effort than with cuttings. To propagate by division, you have to dig up an entire rose bush, cut the root system in half, and replant the two halves as separate bushes. Select the right time.