Characteristics of rooting in rose cuttings (Rosa spp.) depending on cultivar and morphometric parameters under greenhouse conditions

Hanna Pantsyreva, Oleksandr Tkachuk, Antonina Piddubna*, Olha Mazur

piddubnaantonina@gmail.com

Received: 05.04.2026 Revised: 21.08.2026 Accepted: 23.09.2026 Published: 02.10.2026
Retrieved from Vol. 29, No. 3, 2026 Pages: 20-27
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Abstract

The relevance of this study stems from the need in ornamental horticulture for high-quality, uniform and cultivar-specific rose planting material, which can be produced under controlled microclimatic conditions. Rooting of cuttings is a crucial stage in vegetative propagation; however, its effectiveness depends on the biological characteristics of the cultivar and the parameters of the harvested shoot. The aim of this study was to determine the characteristics of rooting of semi-hardwood rose cuttings depending on cultivar and morphometric parameters under greenhouse conditions. The cultivars Jude the Obscure, The Pilgrim and Abraham Darby were studied. For each cultivar, cuttings 25, 40 and 60 cm in length were used; the number of internodes, shoot diameter, length of the lower cut, percentage of rooted cuttings, average root length and average root system mass were determined. The cuttings were planted in a sterile substrate of peat and perlite in a 1:1 ratio at an air temperature of 22-25 °C, relative humidity of 85-95%, diffused light and regular fine-mist irrigation. It was found that as the length of the cuttings increased from 25 to 60 cm, the number of internodes, the diameter of the shoots and the area of the lower cut all increased; however, the maximum length did not always result in the highest survival rate. The best rooting rates for all cultivars were achieved using 40 cm-long cuttings: for Jude the Obscure the rooting rate was 82%, for The Pilgrim 76%, and for Abraham Darby 86%. Cuttings 60 cm in length formed a longer and more robust root system; in particular, for Abraham Darby, the average root length reached 7.4 cm and the root mass was 0.94 g, although the rooting percentage was lower than for the 40 cm cuttings. The lowest results were observed when using 25 cm-long cuttings. Based on a range of indicators, the Abraham Darby cultivar proved to be the most promising for propagation by cuttings. The practical value of this study lies in substantiating the feasibility of using 40 cm-long semi-hardwood cuttings to increase the yield of high-quality rose planting material under greenhouse conditions

Keywords

ornamental horticulture; English roses; semi-hardwood shoots; substrate; root formation; planting stock; cuttings

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Pantsyreva, H., Tkachuk, O., Piddubna, A., & Mazur, O. (2026). Characteristics of rooting in rose cuttings (Rosa spp.) depending on cultivar and morphometric parameters under greenhouse conditions. Scientific Horizons, 29(3), 20-27. https://doi.org/10.48077/scihor3.2026.20