Black Magic Rose: Must Have Care and Propagation Guide For Homeowners

The black magic rose plant of the Rosaceae family produces very dark red flowers. This mysterious-looking rose plant is notorious for producing flowers after flowers.

If you own this Rosa genus plant, you will never run out of fresh roses. Read through this well-compiled guide to learn everything you need about this exotic rose variety.

What Is Black Magic Rose Plant?

The magic rose plant is artificially created, by the german rose manufacturing company in the early 1900s. It produces one of the darkest roses, the closest we have ever come to getting a black rose. This variety is famous for always producing beautiful flowers.

Black Magic Rose Care

This rose plant needs eight hours of bright light, preferably in the morning. Keep reading this article, as we have covered all the necessary requirements in order to thrive this beautiful plant.

Light Requirements

Your magic rose plant needs eight hours of sunlight each day. Eight hours of early morning light is better than eight hours of evening light. This is because morning light is far less intense. The risk of sunburn with this light is lower generally.

 

Secondly, it evaporates dew from the sky, which, in turn, decreases the risk of fungal infections. The longer these leaves remain moist, the more likely powdery mildew will develop on them. You can grow this plant in partial shade as well. In that case, the flower yield produced will be a bit lower.

That is why it would be better to plant this rose plant someplace that is shaded from afternoon light. It is okay if you cannot find such a spot too. In most regions within the US, rose plants can tolerate exposure to direct light all day. 

Water Requirements

This variety of rose needs deep watering at least once a week during summertime. When the sun shines bright, and the weather is hot and dry, you might need to water it even more. Check the top one to two inches of the soil every day until it becomes dry. Then water immediately afterward.

 

Deep watering means using a very copious amount of water every time. Approximately one gallon of water should be used. If the rose bush is planted in a container, you must ensure that the drainage of both the container and the soil is always topnotch. Otherwise, this water will accumulate, and the roots will start rotting.

Watering during the first half of the day in summer is better. It prepares your plant to survive through the rest of the hot day. If there have been more than two inches of rainwater in the past seven days, you can skip watering that week. In the wintertime, you will have to reduce watering per the soil’s requirements.

 

Soil Requirements

Like all roses, this one too likes rich and loamy soil.

 

However, you must mix some sand and perlite with the clay to prevent water logging. 

Temperature Requirements

This bush grows best within a temperature range of 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. It is among the warmer growing rose species and does well in US hardiness zone seven till 11.

It cannot tolerate temperatures below 30 degrees Fahrenheit at all. If the temperature in your city falls below this in the fall or winter, you should plant it in a pot. This way, you can move it indoors when the weather gets cold.

Humidity Requirements

Use a hygrometer to see if the humidity in your house is at least 60 percent. The leaves and petals will lose their plumpness in dry air and become dehydrated.

 

Misting is strictly prohibited as roses are very prone to fungal infections. You can use a pebble tray to improve humidity, provided your plant is in a container or pot.

A humidifier would come in handy too. You can even put it outdoors near the bush through an extension cable.

Fertilizing Requirements

When planting a young or transplanted rose plant in the soil, fertilize right then. When you dig a hole in the center of the soil, put a handful of compost into it along with the roots. You can also place slow-release fertilizer grains mixed with the bone meal per the packaged instructions.

 

After the plant has been planted, you can start a regular feeding regime. We have discovered that feeding a rose plant every three to four weeks works fine. Until the roots have become established, use only very mild fertilizers. Remember that a fish emulsion meal provides just the right nutrients if you want natural fertilizers.

For a well-established plant, you go for commercial liquid fertilizer. Go for one rich in phosphorus which helps your plant bloom properly with an extensive yield. However, diluting a commercial fertilizer is a must otherwise, your plant will develop nasty chemical burns.

Pruning

The black magic rose wine plant needs continual pruning to keep it in check. Trimming half an inch from the growing ends of the stems is very important to accelerate their growth. Do this every spring and see your plant grow in size.

Because this plant is a continuous bloomer, you will need to cut off the rose flowers on it yourself. Only then will new flowers grow back. Pruning is also needed to keep the plant in the required shape and eliminate old and dying foliage.

Use well-sharpened secateurs to snip off this plant’s stems. Cut at an angle of 45 degrees with the tip of the cut towards the top of the stem. Ensure you disinfect and wash your pruning instrument before and after use. This will help protect from a lot of foreseeable problems.

Propagation

You can make more copies of this particular rose plant in three main ways. Propagation methods work equally well and are equally fun.

The best time to take stem cuttings for propagation is either during spring or fall. The rose bush produces soft, pliable stems that can be easily cut and prepped. Take the cutting from a non-flowering stem or one that has recently stopped blooming.

Begin by sharpening your pruners if you want neat cuttings. Rub 70 percent isopropyl alcohol on their blades to eliminate any potential pathogens. Cut your eight to 12 inches of the desired stem, making an incision at 45 degrees to the top. The best cuttings are taken from the growing ends of the stem.

Remove any remaining flower or flower bud present on the cutting. Except for the top two pairs of leaves, remove all leaves. Apply rooting hormone at the bottom of the stem as a growth inducer. Plant this cutting in the center of your prepared potting mix. 

Remember to place the plant near plenty of early morning sunshine and water when the potting soil dries, and then wait to see your new plant bloom and thrive.

 

Problems

As exciting as roses are to grow, they do come with certain problems. In this section, learn how to get rid of aphids, Japanese beetles, and the fungal black spot disease.

– Aphids

Aphids are the most common rose pests. They are tiny, oval-shaped pests that are either lime green, black or brown in color. They increase surprisingly fast and soon begin to feed off all the nutrients your plant needs to grow.

Eventually, your rose magic plant becomes weak. Fewer leaves and flower buds are produced. Aphids secrete a sticky substance known as honeydew on the surface of the leaves. This substance attracts mold and leads to the development of fungal infections.

Surprisingly, aphids are easy to get rid of from the rose plant. Regularly wash your plant using a jet of water from a hose. Direct the beam under the leaves, especially as most of the aphids hide there. You can also introduce ladybirds to your plant as a form of biological pest control.

– Black Spot Disease

All rose varieties, whether the black beauty rose or the magic rose, are susceptible to the black spot disease. This disease attacks a hot, humid, and moist plant within hours. It will destroy the whole aesthetic of this gorgeous plant.

Tiny black spots will erupt all over the rose leaves. These spots will enlarge and develop moist yellow halos around them. Lastly, the whole leaf turns a sickly yellow. The dark flowers will go through a similar fate.

First of all, you need to go start with a rose variety that is resistant to rose spot disease. This will save you from a lot of trouble from the get-go. If unfortunately, your plant does develop this problem, you will have to cut off the rotten parts. Use any good anti-fungal spray as a treatment procedure.

– Japanese Beetle

Japanese beetles attack a lot of plants. If there is any rose plant in the garden like this one or the hybrid tea rose plant, these beetles will surely be attracted to them. With their metallic bronze and green body, they will be hard to miss once the plant is infested.

 

They chew on the leaves and petals of the rose plant. Not only is the plant’s whole esthetic ruined, but the leaves often begin dropping soon after. Your plant will wilt and begin dying soon after.

The best part about it is that you can easily get rid of this Beetle. Pick them up individually and collect them in a bucket filled with water and insecticidal soap. Then give the rose plant a thorough watering using insecticidal soap and water. You can also use a mild insecticidal spray that works against Japanese beetles.

FAQ

– How Can You Propagation Black Magic Rose Through Seeds?

The next time your magic plant produces roses, collect seeds from them. The next season, use these seeds to grow a whole new batch of this mysterious plant. The process of seed propagation starts as early as the start of winter.

Begin by taking a tray no deeper than three to four inches. Fill it with any good quality market seed mix and moisten it. 

Then put your seeds one by one in this mixture only a quarter of an inch deep. Seal the tray in a plastic ziplock bag and place it in the refrigerator for 10 to 12 weeks. This process is called cold stratification, which is imperative for sprouting seeds. At the beginning of spring, take the seeds out when the temperature starts hitting 70 degrees.

Place the tray someplace bright, warm, and humid. Regularly sprinkle water on the potting mix until the seeds begin to sprout after two to three weeks. After this, take out each tiny plant and plant it in the soil or in its own container.

– Is Air Layering Successful Propagation for Black Magic Rose?

Yes, air layering is the newest, fun method of propagating roses like black magic or black baccara rose. Begin by soaking a good deal of sphagnum moss in a bucket of water. It takes some time for it to become completely soaked.  For air layering, choose a rose stem that is young and has just stopped flowering. Make two shallow cuts two to three inches apart around this stem.

Remove the dark green outer layer of the stem to reveal the white part inside. Then apply rooting hormone to this exposed white part. Take the wet sphagnum moss out of the water. Squeeze it with your hands to get rid of all the extra water. 

Cover the white area of the stem with moss and then cover it with plastic or aluminum wrap. Use strings to make sure it is completely wrapped. After four weeks, gently open your covering to see if new roots have grown. If not, then rewrap it and check again after two weeks.

Nonetheless, if new roots have grown, cut that part of the stem off, this stem should be six inches long. Place it in the soil and see a new plant growth within a few weeks.

 

Conclusion

Before ending this guide on this alluring plant, below is a brief summary of what we covered today.

• You must remember that this plant needs to be watered once a week during summertime.
• Your magic rose plant needs eight hours of sunlight each day.
• Continuously keep pruning off old flowers so that the new ones keep growing.
• Use loamy soil but add draining elements like sand or vermiculite.
• Keep in mind that this plant needs 60 percent humidity in order to thrive.

When it comes to black magic rose vs. rose baccara, the latter is darker. However, the black magic plant is much easier to grow and propagate, don’t worry, it continues flowering all year round.