Roses were spread across the U.S. when early pioneers brought their rose cuttings with them in mason jars to plant them in the new areas they were moving to. This art of propagating roses has been around since Victorian times and it remains one of the easiest and most enjoyable endeavors for anyone with a garden. This also makes for a very inexpensive way to begin your own rose garden if you can simply obtain some cuttings from a friend or relative. There are many different ways to prepare and plant the cuttings and you should try different ways to see what works for your particular garden but below I will cover one of the methods to get you started.

The method we will discuss is simply called the "Stick In The Ground Method" and is probably the simplest way to start propagating roses. Finding a good stem is the first step when it comes to prepping your rose cuttings to plant. If you have already decided that you want to propagate roses you have probably already decided on a particular plant and have access to it. What you want to look for is a stem that is healthy and green that is about twelve inches long. You should also try to get them from bushes that active growth has not yet started. Be sure that you take a stem from a bush that has been watered so that the stem will not be dry when you plant it in your garden.

Choose stems with smaller buds whenever possible and try to find one that has at least three and that it is totally free of any disease. One you have identified a stem that meets all of the criteria take a pair of very sharp pruning shears to remove it from the plant and remove the excess foliage for it. After you have cut the stem from the bush you now want to cut it down to a smaller size. Hold it with the buds pointing up and make a 45 degree cut above the top bud then do the same below the bottom one.

Now that you have trimmed it down the stem is ready to be put in the ground. Choose a place in your garden where the new rose cutting will not be subjected to any traffic from people walking through or animals. You should also be sure that the soil is very fertile and receives the right amount of sunlight. It is also crucial that the area has good drainage so that the plant does not get over saturated. To plant the cutting use a trowel to create a small hole and insert the cutting, pushing it about halfway down. Press the soil down so that is firm around the cutting and keep it hydrated.