How to Root Rose of Sharon
- 1). Select new growth in June or July. Using clean pruning shears, cut off lengths of about 4 inches, cutting just below a leaf. Cuttings are best taken in the morning, before the plant gets dry or hot.
- 2). Remove all the leaves but the top two or three, using pruning shears.
- 3). Spray one or two squirts of water into a clear, sealable plastic bag.
- 4). Place the cutting in the plastic bag and seal it shut. This helps keep the cutting moist while you move through the next few steps.
- 5). Wash a pot in hot, soapy water and rinse thoroughly.
- 6). Place coarse river sand, or a mixture of one part peat and one part perlite, in the pot. Wet it down well.
- 7). Remove the cutting from the plastic bag and dip the cut end in rooting hormone. Shake gently to remove any excess.
- 8). Stick the end of the cutting in the pot.
- 9). Cover the cutting with the plastic bag; do not seal the bag. Place the cutting in the shade.
- 10
Remove the plastic bag little by little and move the plant closer to sunlight over the course of about a week. At the end of the week, the cutting should no longer be covered and should be in full sun. - 11
Check the cutting to see if it's rooted by gently tugging on it. Roots appear within two months. - 12
Repot the cutting once it is rooted, using nutrient-rich, new potting soil. After the rose of Sharon's first year, transplant directly into your garden's soil.