Propagating Rose of Sharon a How To

This post is about Propagating Rose of Sharon.  Here we go over some basics of Rose of Sharon and how to propagate this edible plant.

Plant Basics

Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) is also known as Althaea, Shrub Althea, and Hardy Hibiscus. The shrub has a tight, upright vase-shaped form, reaching 7–13ft in height and has large summer blossoms. Rose of Sharon like full sun to light shade and moist, well-drained soil.  They have deeply-lobed, light-green leaves. It is a deciduous flowering shrub native to east Asia and is the national flower of South Korea.

Flowers

The Rose of Sharon has trumpet-shaped flowers that bloom from summer into the fall. Flowers are short-lived, lasting only a day. They come in shades of white, red, pink and purple and attract birds, butterflies and other useful pollinators. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by insects.

Edible

The leaves, blossoms, and flowers of the Rose of Sharon are edible and have a mild flavor and mucilaginous texture.  Leaves are made into tea and the flowers eaten, usually raw. The leaves taste like lettuce, but are very fibrous unless you catch them early.  Blossoms appear in late summer and have a nutty flavor to them. Flowers taste great and have a hint of nectar at the base of the petals.  The root is edible but very fibrous.

Propagation

Rose of Sharon can be propagated via seeds, cuttings, or layering.  This post is going to discuss propagation via softwood cuttings.

Softwood Cuttings

Softwood cuttings are this year’s growth that started in the spring.  This wood is usually just slightly a different color and last year’s wood just looks a little more worn and older.

Make the Cut

Cut the softwood branches off of the plant. Then cut the branches down so they have four internodes.  Internodes are any place a branch or leaf comes out.  I usually go with four to six for Rose of Sharon.  Leave two leafs at the top and remove the bottom leafs.

Rooting Hormone

Dip the bottoms of the cuttings in rooting hormone.  I use dip and grow liquid hormone because I only need the one product and I can mix it as strong as I like.  Softwood cuttings do not require very concentrated rooting hormone, whereas hardwood cuttings require more concentrated solution.

Cuttings in the Planting Medium

Now it is time to place the cuttings into the planting medium.  Push them into your planting medium about two inches down.  Your planting medium should be something that drains freely and easily.  You do not want to saturate the soil where disease and pathogens will proliferate.

Keep the Leaves Wet

These little cuttings will die if the leaves dry out.  You don’t want to soak the ground, but you do want to keep the leaves wet.  The best way to do this is with a mist irrigation system that automatically comes on.  I use the Galcon 8056 and have it programmed for 10 seconds on and 5 minutes off.  This runs all day, but shuts totally off from 9 PM until 6 AM.

Leave Them Be

The cuttings need to stay in the rooting medium until they go dormant.  This usually happens by December or January timeframe.  Once they are dormant, they can be moved to pots or to their location in the yard.

Want to Help our Small Business Out

If you are local you can support our small business by buying plants at Great Escape Nursery . You can also help us by shopping on Amazon just by going through our storefront! As an Amazon Associate, I earn commission from qualifying purchases. There is no additional cost to you! Our storefront at Amazon is located at this link: https://www.amazon.com/shop/greatescapefarms. Buying from either location helps our business produce more content for you.

If you like this blog post and want to find out more about Great Escape Farms check out our Great Escape Farms Overview.  Here you get an overview of all the wonderful stuff we are involved in.  Also, sign up for our email list at the bottom of the linked page.

Great Escape Farms is now on Patreon!  You can support us for as little as $1. If you enjoy our work and want to help support us, please check out our Patreon page at: https://www.patreon.com/gef.

The Video

Check out the video below titled Propagating Rose of Sharon.

Thanks for visiting the Propagating Rose of Sharon post.

Please give us your feedback on Propagating Rose of Sharon by commenting below.

Save

Save

Save