Advice from experienced gardeners on how to remove wax from rose seedlings

Rose lovers begin purchasing seedlings at the end of winter. This is justified by fears that by the beginning of the season it will be more difficult to find quality goods on the shelves, and the price will increase several times.

It's no secret that roses are covered with a waxy coating, which extends their shelf life. However, such sprouts cannot be planted in the ground.

Read the article about how to remove wax from cuttings of a purchased rose without damaging it.

Is it necessary to remove wax coating from cuttings: arguments for and against

Rose seedlings are covered with a coating that protects them from drying out. There are 2 opinions on whether it should be removed.

Some gardeners believe that it does not harm the plant, while others are convinced that the stems under it will smear and deteriorate.

To make the right decision, you need to evaluate how much the seedlings are covered with paraffin. If it is only on the tips of the shoots and on the cuts, then the protective layer does not need to be removed. In this case, its thickness should not be more than 0.2 mm.

Provided that the seedling is completely covered with a thick layer of paraffin, it must be removed, but they do this directly upon landing. During the period of overexposure of the seedling (in a box, on the balcony or in the refrigerator), it is not removed.

To do this, it is recommended to clean 2-3 small areas. Signs of a quality plant: smooth, shiny bark, underneath which hides a green layer of cambium.Cuts at the root and shoots should be white, not brown.

• wax prevents the rose from breathing;
• It’s easy to miss damage under a thick layer;
• paraffin will melt in the sun, causing burns on the plant.

Arguments against":

• it protects the plant from drying out;
• during its removal it is easy to damage the seedlings;
• modern wax is designed to protect the plant from diseases and pests.

How to clean it properly?

Experienced gardeners resort to a gentle method of removing wax from roses. This does not require any auxiliary means.

Procedure:

1. Bring the plant into the room.
2. Without removing it from the package, moisten the roses with a spray bottle.
3. Repeat the procedure several times a day.
4. The roots of the seedlings will begin to absorb moisture, the stems will not dry, due to which the wax itself will begin to crack and fall off.

If the plaque is dense, then this method of removing it is not suitable. In this case, resort to the second method:

• using a pointed peg (the best option is a wooden stick for pushing back the cuticle), carefully pick up the edge of the paraffin shell;
• the capture must be done at the root part of the plant;
• The film is lifted using a peg and moved along the stem;
• those pieces of wax that flake off are removed manually.

The third method is suitable for European roses, which are rarely covered with a thick paraffin coating. Procedure:

1. Soak the seedling in water so that it is saturated with moisture.
2. Leave the rose in direct sunlight, periodically spraying it with warm water.
3. The plant needs to be moistened every 30 minutes.
4. Thanks to this effect, the paraffin will become soft, after which the film can be easily removed by hand.
5. When the wax is removed, the roots are rinsed with clean water and planted in the ground.

Features for purchased seedlings

Roses from a box need to be cleared of wax if it is applied in a thick layer. The optimal method is soaking.

This must be done before landing. In this case, the seedlings themselves do not need to be removed from the box.

You can remove wax from seedlings and cuttings using a regular toothpick or a sharpened wooden skewer. To begin with, the plant can be kept in a cool place so that the coating hardens. A toothpick is passed along the cutting, cutting the wax layer with it..

You can remove paraffin from the stem using the “steaming” method by moistening the plant and placing it in the sun, but not under scorching rays, but in partial shade. Until the coating begins to come off, the plant needs to be sprayed every 30 minutes.

Helpful information

Gardening tips:

1. Before purchasing, you need to ask the seller what kind of coating is applied to the roses. Conscientious producers of seedlings treat them with modern compounds that do not need to be removed. This wax will protect shoots from gray rot and other diseases.
2. If the wax adheres very tightly to the shoots, then after planting it will not fall off. Given its low melting point, it can be assumed that under the bright summer sun it will literally “boil” on the plant, ruining it. Such plaque must be removed.
3. Do not use metal tools, such as a nail file, to remove wax. Sharp instruments can easily damage the plant, causing it to die.

Useful information on ways to remove wax from various surfaces can be found in this section.

Video on the topic of the article

This video will show you how to easily remove wax from purchased roses:

Conclusion

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to whether or not to remove wax from roses. It all depends on the thickness of the applied layer. What matters is the quality of the wax itself that was used for processing. If it is ordinary paraffin, then it must be removed.