Actually, you can't have enough roses in your garden. Your favorite rose in particular should be propagated so that you can enjoy the wonderful, growing sea of flowers. But be careful: most roses cannot be divided because only a few species form runners.
Can you divide and propagate roses?
Most types of roses cannot be divided because they do not form runners. However, some varieties, such as wild roses and certain types of cultivated roses, can be divided by carefully separating the runners and planting them as independent plants. However, refined roses are not suitable for this.
Perennials that have grown too large can be divided - can roses too?
Many perennials should be divided every three to four years, otherwise they will grow too large. This vegetative method of propagation also serves to rejuvenate - but not for many types of roses. Roses are extremely deep-rooted and develop thicker taproots the older they get. Of course, these roots cannot be cut in half to obtain two plants - this would simply mean the death of the rose. In any case, the older the sensitive flowers become, the more sensitive they are to being dug up and transplanted, as this inevitably leads to damage to the roots.
Which roses can be divided
However, there are some rose species and shrubs that naturally form runners. You can easily separate these with a spade and plant them as independent rose specimens. Runner-forming roses are mainly found among wild roses, but some cultivated roses are also included. Of course, the table below does not claim to be complete.
| Variety | German name | Latin name | Bloom | Flower color | Flowering time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plena | cinnamon rose | Pink majalis | easy | purple-carmine | May – June |
| – | Dog Rose | Pink canina | easy | whitepink | June – July |
| Blanc Double de Coulbert | Apple Rose | Pink rugosa | half filled | white | June – October |
| Hansa | Apple Rose | Pink rugosa | loosely filled | dark purple-carmine red | May – October |
| Roseraie de l’Hay | Apple Rose | Pink rugosa | loosely filled | crimson to crimson red | June – October |
| Schneekoppe | Apple Rose | Pink rugosa | filled | soft pink | June – beginning of frost |
| – | Tufted Rose | Pink multiflora | easy | white | June – July |
| – | Gloss Rose | Pink nitida | easy | bright pink | End of June |
| Blush Damask | Damask rose | Pink damascena | filled | pink | May – June |
| Rose de Resht | Damask rose | Pink damascena | filled | purple | May to October |
| Cardinal de Richelieu | Gallicarose | Pink gallica | filled | violet | June |
| Duchesse du Rohan | Damask rose | Pink damascena | filled | pink | June |
| Duchesse de Montebello | Gallicarose | Pink gallica | filled | soft pink | June – July |
| Queen of Denmark | Albarose | Pink Alba | filled | silvery pink | June – July |
| Henri Martin | Moss Rose | Pink muscosa | half-filled | purple-carmine | June |
Separate rose runners and replant them
You can simply carefully separate the rose runners from the mother plant with a spade, dig them up and then replant them in the new location. But be careful: dividing is only possible with true-root specimens, but not with grafted roses.
Tip
If your roses do not develop runners and are therefore not suitable for dividing, you can still propagate them using cuttings.
