Rose grafting: secrets and features of budding

When is the best time to vaccinate

Grafting of roses on a selected rose hip or rose bush should be carried out in the summer. Florists note that the best time for this manipulation is the end of July and the beginning of August. It is during this period that an increase in sap flow can be observed in the rootstock. Active sap flow leads to the fact that the bark is separated from the wood much easier, which increases the chances of a good survival rate of the graft.

However, the grafting of this flower can be performed in the spring. In this case, it is necessary to be in time before the start of bud break. Usually, the spring vaccination period falls at the end of April or the beginning of May.

You can find information that such a procedure was carried out in the winter. This is the most difficult format for grafting, as it involves planting young rosehip seedlings in a flower pot, which should grow in the basement during the cold season. Cuttings are harvested in the fall and then stored in a cool place.

What can you graft a rose on

Most often, a rose is grafted onto any wild rose. Also, any rose bushes that grow in the garden can be used as a stock. In this case, the color of the inflorescences in this case does not play any role. Almost any wild rose bush will do as a rootstock.

However, there is no clear requirement that the vaccination be carried out exclusively on a rose or wild rose.

In our country, the flower is most often grafted onto the rootstock of the Canina rose. But here it is necessary to take into account its strong stature. In the case of grafting miniature or polyanthus species on it, an increase in their growth will be observed, which is provoked by a powerful and branched underground root system of the stock. As a result, annual pruning will contribute to the rapid depletion of the roots, which will ultimately lead to the death of the entire bush.

Therefore, for miniature or polyanthus species, it is better to use Fragrant (Rust) rose bushes as a stock. For such a bush is characterized by a more moderate growth. Fragrant rose is distinguished by a significant branching of the root system, good frost resistance and simple reproduction.

In addition to these varieties, varieties such as wrinkled or prickly roses can be used as rootstock. But these varieties have a large number of thorns, which at times complicates the grafting procedure. Therefore, many flower growers choose Cinnamon (May) or Dog rose. These varieties have few thorns and other advantageous characteristics (such as winter hardiness).

As a result, before starting the grafting procedure, it is necessary to choose the right varieties for the scion and rootstock. At the same time, experts advise giving preference to those varieties that not only bloom beautifully, but also have other useful characteristics. These characteristics include:

• cold resistance;
• high immunity;
• easy maintenance, etc.;

These parameters will minimize the care of the bushes during the season, as well as protect the plants from freezing during the cold season.

What should be the graft

The key to a successful vaccination is the right graft. To get a scion from the mother bush, you need to cut off the most mature branches. Next, they separate the middle part.

The scion should have a smooth and shiny bark, as well as developed buds. Branches with such characteristics are grafted very easily.

Experienced gardeners, in order to increase the chances of a better survival, are advised to use the budding method. This method will be discussed below. Its use guarantees a 90-100% result of the vaccination efficiency. Here one kidney is taken, not a whole cutting.

We prepare the stock

Before the vaccination is carried out, not only the scion is prepared, but also the stock. The selected bush needs to be intensively moistened. It is best to moisten the soil near the bush the day before the procedure. Watering carried out in this way will increase the intensity of sap flow.

Step by step guide

It is best that roses are grafted into the root collar. It is noted that this approach significantly increases the chances of survival of the scion. This procedure has the following step-by-step instructions:

• the root neck is cleaned of dirt;
• then a cutting is taken. The most developed kidney is cut off on it. Leave some wood near the kidney. The cutting is done with a special sharpened knife. Cut length – 3 cm;
• after that, the graft is turned over by the wood towards itself. The last kidney is removed from it. As a result, only one kidney remains on the cortex;
• a T-shaped incision is formed on the root collar. The edges of the incision must be carefully bent;
• the scion is shortened so that it fits under the bark;
• insert the scion into the incision. The kidney must remain outside. In this case, the bark of the cutting starts under the bark of the neck.

It remains only to fix the bark with ribbons cut from plastic film. After that, the root neck is covered with earth.

Further Care

Caring for a bush involves excavating its root neck 14 days after the procedure. The accepted kidney will be green. If the kidney is not accepted, the vaccination is repeated.

A scion bush is cared for in the same way as an ordinary rose. Pruning is carried out for the winter. The shoots located on the grafted bud are cut off by 1,5 cm. The plant itself is covered with leaves and earth. From above the bush is covered with a protective material. Such protection will allow the plant to survive even severe frosts.

By following the instructions above, you can easily understand how to graft a rose correctly in order to achieve the desired result.

Video “Methods of grafting roses”

From this video you will learn about two ways for self-grafting roses.