Creating an opaque and defensive hedge of wild roses does not necessarily have to be expensive. The rosehip bush is easy to propagate. But which methods are effective and recommended?
How to propagate rosehip bushes?
Rosehip bushes can be propagated by sowing, propagating cuttings or separating stolons. Sowing requires patience and can take up to 2 years, while cuttings and runners are quicker and more effective methods of encouraging the growth of the dogrose.
Sowing: For the Patient
The ripe rose hip fruits are picked in the fall after the first frost. At home, the nuts/seeds contained in them are removed from the shell and pulp.
Since the seeds have to go through a resting phase before they can germinate, it is recommended to store them in the refrigerator until spring, for example, or to dry them in a container outside the refrigerator. The motto here is: Patience is a virtue
It continues as follows:
- Sowing seeds in spring
- Cover seeds 5 mm thick with soil, sand or gravel
- Moisten the soil regularly
- Germinability: good
- Germination time: up to 2 years
- ideal germination temperature: 10 to 25 °C
Is propagation from cuttings recommended?
Compared to sowing, propagation from cuttings is faster and more effective. It happens in autumn or spring. To do this, 15 to 20 cm long shoots (with 4 to 5 eyes) are cut off from the dog rose.
Please note:
- The optimal cutting is between 0.7 and 1 cm thick
- defoliate the lower part and remove the thorns
- at least one pair of leaves should be retained in the upper part
- plant in a pot (the top leaves should be visible)
- plant in May
- best location: protected, partially shaded to shady
Propagate using runners
The dog rose likes to form root runners. Over the years they turn it into an impenetrable thicket. They can also be used to propagate the plant.
When propagating via the root runners, the runners or shoots are separated with a spade. The best time is in spring or autumn before budding. After separating, the shoots are shortened to 1/3 and planted in a suitable substrate (€7.00 at Amazon). They should be watered regularly over the next few months so that new roots form quickly.
Tips & Tricks
Probably the easiest method for propagating rose hips is using runners. Usually not much can go wrong.