Beginner Gardening: Rose of sharon plant, 1 by von219

von219 wrote:

I got several cuttings from my SIL's ROS bush. Using someone's advice, I dipped the cuttings in plant growth hormone and put them in syrofoam cups (with holes poked in the bottom) filled with perilite, they said to put the cups with the cuttings in them in a shallow pan with water in it so that they could be watered from the bottom. They said to leave them there about 2-3 wks and when you tugged on them and felt resistance there should be roots growing. After 3 weeks, I pulled them out but there wasn't any roots so I took a chance and put them in regular potting soil in a large 5 gallon bucket (I should have used a small pot). It's been about 2 months now since they've been in the bucket. I began watering them every day (with a feeding with Miracle Grow about once a week) and putting them in the sun a few hours every day. About 3 weeks ago it grew many little green buds and then 2 weeks ago the buds opened up to almost full size flowers. I didn't think they were suppose to flower for a couple of years......until they were at least 2-1/2 ft high?

Does this means (already blooming) that they can be planted outside this fall and they would survived the winter?

I later found out that they were a sterile kind of ROS (aphrodite - I think) and only propagate by grafting. Here is a photo of them.....most are only 7 inches high.

Von

This message was edited Jul 26, 2008 3:06 PM