Cutting roses using the burrito method - what is it

The rose is the queen of flowers and the decoration of the infield. To grow your collection, you can use the burrito rooting method. This method is good because you can propagate a flower you like from a bouquet, a rare expensive variety. To get the expected result, you need to familiarize yourself with the method and follow the instructions for grafting.

Cutting a rose using the burrito method - what is it

Rooting roses using the burrito method originated in the United States and, thanks to its efficiency, has gained great popularity among flower growers around the world. The burrito method is a vegetative propagation of roses, in which the rooting takes place in a wet newspaper.

Roses can be propagated in many ways, but burritos are the easiest.

Inside the bundle, a favorable atmosphere is created for the formation of callus. This is a snow-white growth that forms on the shoots. It plays the role of stem cells, from which roots will appear at a certain time.

Advantages and disadvantages of an unusual method of grafting

Like any method, the rose breeding burrito method has its positive and negative sides. The pluses include:

• high percentage of root formation. Rare hybrids quickly grow roots in this way;
• the ability to control the appearance of roots. This is an advantage over the propagation of roses directly in the ground, since you can monitor the regrowth of roots and remove spoiled cuttings in a timely manner;
• at any time, you can control the temperature and humidity regime: remove the bundle to a warmer place and, when the newspaper dries, moisten it in a timely manner;
• the method allows you to grow your favorite variety at any time of the year.

When to choose this breeding method

To get the desired result, it is important to know which roses are suitable for burrito propagation. In summer, this method is not used, since unripe cuttings with a thin bark will not be able to withstand a long stay in a wet newspaper.

Also, the method is not suitable for Dutch varieties. Cuttings will be able to successfully release roots, but they will not be able to overwinter in a harsh climate. This method is suitable for roses grown in the Russian climate that are not afraid of harsh winters.

Step-by-step burrito grafting procedure

The burrito method in execution is simple, and even a novice florist can handle it. Before starting work, you must prepare a sharp sterile pruner or knife. You will also need newspapers and a plastic bag.

Cutting cuttings

The prepared planting material is cut into cuttings 15-20 cm long.They must have at least 3 dormant buds. The lower cut is made obliquely, the upper one is left straight. The stalk is freed from all foliage and petioles. If there are spots of rot, mechanical damage on the shoot, then they are not suitable for reproduction.

The shank should not exceed 4 mm in thickness

Preparation of cuttings and their processing

If the cuttings are cut in the fall and have been stored in a cool place, the cut must be renewed before rooting. In a container with warm water, a drug that stimulates root formation is diluted in the dosage indicated on the package. The cuttings are immersed 1/3 of the length and left for 5 hours.

The growth stimulant can be replaced with aloe juice diluted in water in a ratio of 1: 9, or with a honey solution (½ teaspoon per 0.5 l of warm water). To exclude the appearance of fungus, cuttings are disinfected with fungicides.

Packing cuttings

The newspaper is folded in several layers and no more than 6 cuttings are wrapped in it. The newspaper is rolled into a tight roll so that the edges do not look out. Next, the package is moistened so that the paper is wet, but not waterlogged. After that, the package is wrapped in polyethylene and put away in a dark place.

Waiting and checking packets

Packages with planting material are stored in a cool place at a temperature of 14-18 ° C. This temperature regime has a beneficial effect on the formation of callus. Check for signs of decay is carried out every 7 days. The package is carefully unfolded and, if there is mold, the entire package is thrown away.

If the cuttings are healthy, then, if necessary, the newspaper is moistened, since drying out will not stimulate root formation. Once every 14 days, the cuttings are treated with fungicidal preparations.

In favorable conditions, callus appears on the stem of a rose on the 14-25th day. It can be immediately noticed by the white bead at the end of the cutting.

Callus formation

Planting sprouted rose cuttings

After the appearance of callus on the cuttings of roses and the first roots, the planting material is placed in a pot with nutritious soil. To create the effect of a water bath, the pot is covered with polyethylene. To grow a strong root system, the temperature must be kept within 25 ° C. It is important to air, spray and water rooting cuttings in a timely manner. It is necessary to monitor the moisture content of the soil, since cuttings quickly rot in waterlogged soil.

Roses rooted in a pot are transplanted into open ground after the soil warms up and the night spring frosts have passed. If you propagate spring cuttings using the burrito method, then after the roots appear, they can be planted immediately in open ground. For quick survival, the plantings are covered with a film, creating the effect of a micro greenhouse.

The landing site should be in a sunny location and protected from gusty winds. The first 10 days, the cuttings are shaded from direct sunlight.

Further care of the young plant

After the cuttings release 15 cm of young shoots, they are fed with special fertilizers intended for roses. In order for the plant to quickly grow the root system, and not waste energy on flowering, the first buds are removed.

In late autumn, the bushes are fed with phosphorus-potassium fertilizers, mulched and covered with non-woven covering material.

Application of the method at different times of the year: features

Roots can be rooted using the burrito method in spring, winter and autumn. Features of cuttings in the fall:

• after the autumn pruning of roses, many shoots remain. In order not to throw them away, the planting material can be easily turned into a luxurious bush;
• autumn reproduction is considered the most effective, since the cuttings are ripe, have a thick bark;
• there is a lot of time until spring. During the winter period, the cut shoots will take root and will be able to take root well in a new place in the summer;
• if you start grafting in early autumn, then at the beginning of spring the planting material is transplanted into spacious pots before planting in a new place;
• if desired, cuttings cut in the fall can be stored at home until rooting.

Blooming Burrito Roses

Spring breeding with this method is dangerous because overwintered plants may have signs of latent diseases, so the percentage of culling is much higher than during autumn breeding. For rooting, only well-ripened shoots are taken. After the roots appear, they are immediately transplanted to a prepared place.

Thus, knowing when it is possible to propagate roses by cuttings, in the summer the personal plot will be transformed with new colors.

Possible problems and difficulties of cuttings

Often, using burrito cuttings for roses, novice growers face difficulties. Problems with the propagation of roses:

• after the formation of callus, the stalk dies - the temperature is too low;
• the planting material dries up or begins to rot - the storage temperature is too high;
• the appearance of rot - the temperature and humidity regime is increased;
• a fungal disease appeared on the cuttings - no fungicidal treatment was carried out before being placed in the newspaper.

The burrito method does not require large expenses and most often gives a positive result, therefore, flower growers all over the world use this method. Knowing the nuances of the correct cuttings of roses, you can multiply the variety you like in a short time and admire it for many years.