Has anyone had better results with scarification of rose stem with or without rooting hormone as opposed to non scarification?
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I don’t scarify, but on rootstock cuttings where I shave off the bottom node it callouses on the wound as well. Using rooting hormone.
is it better than a simple snip? I don’t know. I imagine the more surface area required to callous and root from, the more energy expended. which is limited until it can produce its own
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Never done a side-by-side comparison, but have always stripped a scar of about 1½ inches along one or two sides of any cutting of a moderate diameter. I feel exposing more meristem provides more opportunity for root growth to quickly sustain the cutting.
Not sure if that was ever taught to me, or if that’s just me acting on my personal rationale. No doubt I engage in a great many meritless habits…
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Cambium tissue, the circulatory system of the rose just under the bark and between it and the pith, is what differentiates and calluses to become roots. Exposing more of it to any hormones and the appropriate conditions to encourage callusing and root formation SHOULD increase the amount of callus and roots possible. I’ve noticed the greatest benefit from scarifying wichurana and multiflora types as opposed to modern roses, many OGRs and Asian types (Chinas, Teas, and Asian species).
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