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Grafting a rose on a wild rose in spring is one of the main ways to propagate a flower. This method allows you to get a new copy of an ornamental plant without seeds and seedlings. The method is characterized by both advantages and disadvantages. To eliminate common mistakes in the implementation of the procedure, you must follow the instructions.
Why are roses grafted onto rose hips
The main reason is that both plants belong to the same family – Pink. Rose hips and roses share many characteristics and tolerate crossing, grafting, and other breeding procedures well.
Common to the two plants are:
- exactingness to the composition of the soil, lighting;
- temperature regime of cultivation;
- bush structure.
Rosehip is considered less whimsical and better adapted to adverse conditions. Grafting to such a bush allows you to get a full-fledged rose. A plant grown on wild rose is characterized by increased resistance to diseases, cold, and is less demanding on growing conditions.

Grafted plants bloom earlier than usual
Due to budding on the wild rose, the development of the rose is accelerated. This is because the bush has a deep root system, which provides more nutrients for growth.
When can you get vaccinated
Spring is considered the best way to bud. During this period, young shoots appear on the bushes, which tolerate the grafting of a rose on a wild rose stem well.
You can carry out the procedure in the summer. At this time of the year, there is an active movement of juices in the shoots of shrubs. It promotes engraftment of cuttings on the rootstock. Summer vaccination is carried out at the end of July or in August.
In autumn, budding is usually not carried out. During this period, the plant prepares for winter and does not have time to take root on the rootstock. Grafting of cuttings is allowed in the middle or end of February. This option is considered the most time-consuming and difficult.
On which rose hips are grafted roses
The plant used as a rootstock must be strong and healthy. It is desirable that rose hips, grown from seeds or by dividing the bush, be used for grafting. Instances obtained by cuttings are considered less resistant to adverse factors.

The age of the bush must be at least 3 years
Another important requirement is the absence of damaged shoots or external defects. The bark on the rosehip should be smooth and not damaged. Lignified or withered branches should be removed from the bushes at least a few weeks before the procedure.
Preparing the rosehip for the procedure:
Vaccination Options
There are several ways to use wild rose as a scion. A suitable option is carried out taking into account the varietal characteristics of the grafted plant and the conditions of the region.
Budding of roses on a wild rose
As a scion, a kidney is used, which is also called an eye. It is taken from the mother plant or from a pre-cut cutting. Grafting by the kidney is done in the area of the root neck or higher, on the shoots. Usually, the budded eye begins to grow in the spring of the next year, when the wild rose, acting as a rootstock, enters the period of active vegetation.
This vaccination method is the most common. With proper execution, the method allows you to grow a new flowering bush in a few years.
Copulation of a rose on a wild rose
The method involves grafting cuttings. A mandatory requirement is that the shoots of the stock and scion must be of the same diameter.

The thickness of the rosehip stalks must be at least 7 mm
Cuttings are prepared as a scion. Each requires 2-3 mature buds. They should not be active for the cutoff period. Cuttings with germinating buds are not used for grafting.
Rose grafting by bark
A common method that is used mainly in the summer. To graft a rose on a wild rose, use a pre-harvested stalk with buds.
For the stock, you need to choose a shoot on which the bark is easily separated from the wood. A cutting with an oblique longitudinal cut is placed under it. It should enter under the bark by 3-4 cm.
How to plant a rose on a wild rose – step by step instructions
For each season, different vaccination options are used. For the procedure to be successful, you should read the detailed instructions.
How to plant a rose on a wild rose in spring
The procedure is carried out at the end of March or in April. The exact dates are determined taking into account the climatic features of the region. Constant air temperature should not fall to negative values.
In the spring, vaccinations are most often carried out by copulation:
- Make an oblique cut on the prepared cutting.
- Soak it in a growth stimulator.
- Make a cut of the same length on the rosehip shoot.
- Connect the cutting to the rootstock so that they are in close contact.
- Tie the grafting site with rubber thread, plastic tape or linden bark.
- Coat the area of contact of the shoots with garden pitch.

Cuts on the rootstock and scion should be smooth, without notches
Another copulation option is wedge grafting. It is made on a wild rose shoot if the thickness of the scion significantly exceeds the diameter of the cutting. It is given a wedge shape so that it is inserted inside the cutout.
How to plant a rose on a wild rose in summer
For this purpose, the method described above is well suited. To graft a rose on a wild rose in the summer, shoots with ripe buds can be cut with a cutting. The procedure is carried out in the middle or end of August.
In the same period, you can use the budding method:
- Harvest cuttings with a mature, well-developed kidney.
- It is separated from the shoot along with a small piece of bark and wood (up to 3 cm).
- The rosehip bush is dug in to expose the root collar.
- Make a T-shaped incision in the bark of the rootstock bush.
- The bark is carefully pulled away and the prepared kidney is placed under it.
- The grafting site is covered with a layer of loose soil and moistened.
- The kidney is dug up in 2-3 weeks, a small shoot should appear on it, from which a new bush will grow.

The peephole must remain outside the incision
You can also bud roses on rose hips in summer on surface shoots. However, the fixation of the kidney on the root neck of the shrub contributes to a better adaptation of the scion. In addition, such a plant is much easier to separate in the future. It fuses well with the root system and it is enough to cut an adult bush into several parts to obtain new specimens.
How to plant a rose on a wild rose in autumn
At this time of the year, copulation or grafting by cuttings is not carried out. You can only get vaccinated in early or mid-September. During this period, the movement of juices in the shoots of wild rose has not yet begun to stop.
For reproduction, methods of budding and fixation of the cuttings are used. Experienced gardeners perform bark grafting.
Stages of the procedure:
- On the wild rose, a shoot with a diameter of 1 cm or more is chosen.
- The top is cut off.
- A sharp tool is driven under the bark and gently stretched, forming a free space.
- A stalk with a long oblique cut is placed in the resulting recess.
The grafting site should be coated with garden pitch and wrapped with foil. If the procedure was successful, the stalk will remain fresh after 2-3 weeks. Active growth of the shoot will be next spring.
Rose grafting on wild rose in winter
In late autumn, as well as in December and January, the reproduction of plants grown in open ground is not carried out. Grafting roses in winter on the roots of wild rose is allowed only in February, provided that the soil is not too frozen.
The procedure is carried out by the method of budding. Previously, the rosehip bush is torn open, exposing the root collar. An incision is made into which a kidney with a piece of bark is inserted.
Many gardeners face difficulties in performing such a procedure. Due to the low temperature, the bark on the scion is very hard and it is difficult to make the necessary cut in it. One of the secrets of winter grafting roses on wild roses is to break the root neck on it, you need to put a rag soaked in warm water. Then the temperature of the bark will rise and it can be easily cut and separated from the wood.
After grafting, the root neck is spudded with loose soil. It is strictly forbidden to leave the scion in the open air, as it will freeze. To protect the kidney, you can wrap the incision site with a film.
Planting and caring for grafted roses on wild roses
Plants grown on a rootstock are recommended to be planted in the ground in the fall. Spring planting is also allowed, which is carried out from late April to mid-May.
Grafted roses are planted in a new place using standard technology. First of all, a hole is prepared with a depth of 60-70 cm. A drainage layer and a soil mixture are poured into it. The plant is placed in the ground with a depth of 5-8 cm.
Roses grafted on wild rose need abundant watering. They are also regularly spudded to stimulate the formation of roots. As the soil is compacted, loosening is required. Mulching is necessary in case of prolonged lack of precipitation. Tree bark or peat is introduced into the soil, which retains moisture, and as it decomposes, it supplies the roots of the plant with nutrients.
To form a bush and stimulate the growth of shoots, pinching is carried out. The upper part of the stems is shortened by 2-3 buds. Due to this, the growth of lateral branches is accelerated, which further ensures abundant flowering.
For the winter, the plant should be pruned. The shrub is covered with non-woven material, and the roots are spudded to protect it from freezing.
Common mistakes and recommendations
Grafting is considered the most difficult way to propagate roses. It is not suitable for all varieties.

Harvesting cuttings can harm the uterine bushes and cause wilting
The main mistake that gardeners make is the wrong choice of rootstock. Rosehip seedlings 3-4 years old are used for grafting. The root neck of the bush should be thicker than 7 mm and not wider than 12 mm.
For grafting, rose hips must be grown from seeds. Wild specimens are not used.
In the video, how to eliminate errors and correctly plant roses on a wild rose:
Incorrect selection and preparation of the rose is also the reason why the grafting fails. Inexperienced gardeners prematurely cut cuttings when the buds are not yet ripe. Such a graft does not take root to the wild rose and dies very quickly. Cutting cuttings with immature buds is allowed only on condition that they root them and use them for grafting at the end of winter or in spring.
For many gardeners, roses do not grow on wild roses due to the fact that the cuts were made inaccurately. They should be smooth, even, without notches. Then the shoots will be in close contact, which will ensure normal fusion.

For vaccinations, it is recommended to use sharp budding or garden knives.
It is not recommended to place rose buds in places where thorns were previously located. The graft grows poorly with this place due to the fact that the wood is denser there, and the movement of juices is limited.
Conclusion
Grafting a rose on a wild rose in the spring is a breeding method that requires a competent approach and strict adherence to the instructions. Such a procedure is considered laborious and does not always end successfully. It is also advisable to vaccinate roses in the summer. The procedure can be carried out in several ways, which allows you to choose the most convenient for a particular plant.