The potato or dune rose (so called because it was planted on dunes for a long time to protect against erosion) is one of the very robust and extremely undemanding representatives of the wild roses. Originally from the northern regions of China, Japan and Korea, Rosa rugosa is now considered an invasive plant in many countries. The potato rose is very easy to propagate and also spreads itself extremely quickly through root suckers.

The potato rose usually takes its propagation into its own hands

Particularly easy: cut off runners and plant

Rosa rugosa tends to self-propagate very strongly through root suckers or rhizomes, which of course can also be used for targeted propagation. To do this, separate the foothills from the mother plant with the help of a spade and immediately replant them in their new location or in a special breeding bed. Since the potato rose is very frost hardy, the young plant does not need a frost-free overwintering. The best seasons for harvesting the runners are both spring (before they sprout) and autumn.

Potato roses must be provided with a root barrier when planting

However, said root suckers can quickly become a nuisance, because the potato rose spreads very quickly from even the smallest root remains and is also difficult to combat. Even drastic cutting down to the ground several times cannot harm the plant. For this reason, you should definitely install root barriers when planting to avoid nasty surprises.

End of November: Cut mature sticks

Another vegetative and thus guaranteed varietal type of propagation can be implemented using sticks, which are ideally cut in mid to late November, before the first frost. These approximately 20 centimeters long sticks are stored frost-free and cool in slightly damp sand over the winter and only planted in the following spring. Only the top eye should look out of the ground.

Stratification necessary: Sow the seeds of the potato rose

Propagation via seeds is also usually quite easy, although the germination inhibition of the seeds must first be broken by a cold period before sowing. To do this, mix the seeds, which have previously been carefully cleaned of the pulp, with slightly damp sand and store the mixture - filled in a transparent plastic bag or a screw-top jar - for about four weeks in the vegetable compartment of your refrigerator. You can then sow seeds, although you need to be patient: the seeds of the potato rose can sometimes take up to a year to germinate.

tips

If you want to get larger amounts of seeds, you can also put the whole rose hips in a blender to separate the pulp from the seeds.

Category:

Vegetable garden