Flower specialist reveals why a potato is all you need to establish a thriving rose garden

We're always looking for expert gardening tips, especially cost-effective smart solutions. This potato hack to grow roses is a great find, it's an impressively savvy trick to aid the growth of hardwood cuttings.

November is the perfect time to take hardwood cuttings from this year’s growth. Taking cuttings is the easiest way to grow bushes, shrubs and even trees for free, by using plants that are already thriving in your garden.

While you can use specialist rooting powders to kickstart new growth, one expert has let us into the little-known secret of using potatoes as an alternative sustainable gardening idea.

Expert's potato hack to grow roses from hardwood cutting

If you’re dreaming of a garden bursting with beautiful roses by next spring, this budget-friendly trick is for you. According to flower specialist Angela DeMaio, rose cuttings are the easiest way to grow new plants and expand your garden.

She also reveals how all you need to help grow healthy roses is something you probably already have in your kitchen cupboard, potatoes.

“Potatoes create an ideal environment for rose cuttings to grow strong roots," says Angela. "Their natural moisture content keeps the stems hydrated, while the nutrients help the plant establish itself.”

Explaining how to take cuttings from a rose efficiently Angela advises: “Select a fresh stem from your rose bush that’s at least 20cm long," advises Angela. "Next, remove any flowers and leaves to prepare the cutting."

“Insert the base of the stem into half a potato and plant the potato with the stem directly into the soil,” she explains, confirming to us that this trick works perfectly both in pots or planting directly in the ground.

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“Having a solid base like a potato provides essential moisture and nutrients," says Angela. "So you don’t have to put in as much effort to ensure the rose takes root."

Angela adds: “This method also protects the cutting in environments where new stems would struggle to grow naturally. By using a potato, you’re essentially creating a nutrient-rich incubator for your rose cuttings, giving them the best possible start."

Angela Burke

Angela Burke combines her love for resin art, weddings, and everything flowers. With her mix of passions for gardening and the magical feelings of weddings, she founded Bouquet Casting Co. in February of 2022 to help her customers preserve their wedding bouquets so they could preserve their favourite day, forever.

This nifty trick works its magic because the potato naturally keeps the vulnerable cutting moist while offering nutrients that encourage root growth.

As the cutting establishes itself, the potato begins to decompose and enrich the surrounding soil, continuing to feed goodness directly into the roots. We've also seen bananas used in the garden for the same principles.

“This process not only nourishes the plant as it grows but also improves the overall health of the soil,” Angela explains.

And the timing is perfect because cold weather can make conditions tough for roses to survive without extra support.

Finally, Angela advises practising patience, as the process can take five to six weeks before the cutting starts developing roots. Then come spring you'll be tasked with learning how to prune roses and ways to keep your roses flowering for longer.