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Grafting for Newbies

This is a spin off from the "Snow is here lets talk about roses :)" thread.

In the original thread these links were provided by donaldvancouver:

Kim Ruperts site

and chip budding

I have a couple follow up questions. While cross posted I am curious to where a person can aquire Multiflora seedlings?For you folks that graft are the specialty knives required? As well, do you find the type of tape important? Trying to weigh out my options.

Thanks,

SCG

Comments (21)

  • donaldvancouver
    10 years ago

    Hi SCG and thanks for splitting this into its own thread. An easy way to get multiflora stock, though not from seedlings, is to wait until a grafted rose from the nursery suckers up from below the graft. Multiflora roots easily from cuttings. Another possibility: one of the Canadian nurseries, either Palatine or Pickering, I can't remember which, grows their own multiflora from seed for each of their grafts. They might sell seed on a request basis, I don't know.
    I use a multiflora hybrid called Goldfinch and just root cuttings of it. There is the risk of virus with cuttings, of course.
    You could also use a Morden or Explorer rose as rootstock. M. Centennial roots very easily from early semi-hardwood and is probably more cold-hardy than multiflora.
    Re knives- you can get a fancy grafting knife from Lee Valley. I just use a very sharp Swiss army knife. (And let me jump in here and say that technique is very important with grafting- you will be using a sharp knife against uneven wood at strange angles, and you will cut yourself. I can almost guarantee it. Always cut away from yourself, not toward. Oh, the blood I have shed.)
    Lastly, I use 3M plastic surgical tape from the drugstore. It stretches nicely, is inexpensive, and holds when wet. There is a paraffin tape for grafting but it costs a bomb.
    Budding roses is surprisingly fun, and it's not too difficult to get the hang of it.
    OK I'll let someone else jump in. Thanks.

  • nutsaboutflowers
    10 years ago

    Hi there.

    Somewhere on this site there is thread showing awesome pictures from Konrad demonstrating his grafting method. :)

  • SouthCountryGuy Zone 4b-5 SE BC
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    DonaldVancouver,

    Thanks for the tips. I am very anxious to try this all out. I actually went out and got the branches the snow broke off the potted roses I have to practice.

    Being a Journeyman Carpenter I probably think I am better with tools than I really am, so I will try and set up a video camera so you can watch me leak and laugh!

    Good tip on the tape. I figured there had to be something else folks used. I read someplace someone using small elastic bands.

    I am confused on why chip budding can be done early in the season and "T" later? Why can't you "T" bud in the spring?

    NAF,

    Yeah Konrads methods are great and can be found following the link Terry put up on the other thread....i will repost it here

    Chip budding info

    Konrad's Bark Grafting

    Now can someone speed winter up?

    SCG

  • donaldvancouver
    10 years ago

    Re T-bud seasonality- it has to do with the condition of the skin or bark of the rootstock. In late summer (starting mid August here) you can cut the T into the skin and the skin peels right back so you can slide the bud right into the cut. A few weeks before that, and you just get a mess. It seems to work up until October or so around here.

  • SouthCountryGuy Zone 4b-5 SE BC
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Now that makes sense, thanks.

    In my zone would one be better off chip budding early rather than t budding just before winter freezes?

    If Konrad follows this I would be interested to find out when he likes to graft.

    SCG

  • donaldvancouver
    10 years ago

    Hi- I would think so, yes. I chip-budded a hybrid tea to my multiflora hybrid around May 1st and it got to a good size over the season. With the later t-buds, the bud doesn't really break in the first season anyway. Say you do the bud in mid-Aug, it'll take three weeks or so before you know if it worked. That takes you up to Labour Day or so. From there, the bud normally sits dormant until spring- so your job would be to keep it protected from the extreme cold and hope for the best, maybe keeping the tape over it and hilling it over with mulch and snow. It would be a good experiment.

  • SouthCountryGuy Zone 4b-5 SE BC
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Oh, forgot to thank you for the tip on using Morden plants for root stock.

    I will try T budding next season and find out. I never thought that if I keep the rose potted when budding I can store it in the thermostatically controlled room I am building to protect the potted roses I have right now. And no, building a room to store roses for winter is no indication of addiction.

    Donald, do you have any pictures of the tree roses you are working on?

    SCG

  • donaldvancouver
    10 years ago

    Hi- not yet. This multiflora hybrid grew some 5' long, straight canes this year- it's a huge rambler- so I budded a couple of Kordes hybrids onto the ends of the canes. They have taken very well and are sitting dormant. Once the rains really set in later this month, I should be able to cut the cane at the base and stick it straight into the soil for rooting over winter. Next spring if all goes well, I cut out all the buds along the cane except the grafted one and a couple above that one. Voila. That's the theory, anyway :)

  • donaldvancouver
    10 years ago

    Just thinking- if you're looking for something to cascade down on a standard, maybe have a look at Lady Elsie May by Noack. It is ridiculously vigorous, and a bit unkempt as a shrub but I think its weak canes laden with flowers would work in your favour on a standard.

  • SouthCountryGuy Zone 4b-5 SE BC
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Good point on cutting the buds of the cane of your rootstock. I would have never thought of this. Look forward to your pics.

    'Lady Elsie May' is a nice looking bush. Unfortunately it isn't available at either place I am ordering from. I will keep my eye out for it. Hopefully 'Easy Does It' works well as the wife loves it and you know "that" saying :)

  • donaldvancouver
    10 years ago

    Easy Does It is a showstopper and very healthy here. I'm sure you'll be happy with it.

  • rosecavalier
    10 years ago

    Some excellent advice and novel...for me...grafting/budding treerose techniques...thanks Donald for Kim Ruperts link on whip preparation.

    A question on top T-budding Donald...How mature is the upper stem you are budding onto in August...less than 3 months, growth from late spring, or last year's growth? I've tried lower t-budding in the spring and later summer with no luck...June works very well.

    I'll t-bud on both sides as extra insurance.

    SCG

    For me Buddy Tape works well...transparent, stretches to the length you need to wrap around the graft area...developing bud pushes through tape...comes in a roll with tear-off 3" sections. It can be purchased at Growers Supply in Kelowna.

    I'm quite excited to try the whip method on Lillian Gibson...no T-budding...she has beauty and hardiness and is thornless.


    Lillian Gibson

  • SouthCountryGuy Zone 4b-5 SE BC
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Rosecavalier, that is a very nice rose!

    Have you looked at konrad's bark grafting methods. Too me it looks somewhat similar to whip grafting just with greater cambium contact.

    I am itching for winter to pass so I can start this......or if I am graced with a local job for the winter I will fire up my grow lights and start indoors LOL....

    Have a great day all,

    SCG

  • donaldvancouver
    10 years ago

    Hi- the stalk I was grafting onto in August was definitely this year's growth.

  • SouthCountryGuy Zone 4b-5 SE BC
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I came across a few more questions for you fine folks. While I think I know the answers it would be great to reinforce plus somebody else might benefit.

    When people talk about 'bud wood' are they talking about canes that just finished blooming? If not, what would be considered good bud wood?

    I am having a little problem with how pedigree is written on roses. What trips me up is when I see ' X seedling' when they use it with the seed parent. When they list parentage as 'parent name' X seedling does this infer open pollination?

    Thanks,

    SCG

    Ohhh Terry I lost my order form to get roses from you can you resend it :)

  • donaldvancouver
    10 years ago

    Hi- Re bud wood, yes, just as a cane finishes blooming you'll see buds at the base of the leaves. You can also find buds at other times of year, at least in my climate- I think you can even use early spring buds though I haven't done much of that.

  • FrozeBudd_z3/4
    10 years ago

    Yes, I usually take bud wood from stems that have finished blooming and those that are more mature, though it's advised not to use the uppermost buds on a stem.

    'Peace' X 'seedlng' ... this means that 'Peace' was the plant selected to carry the hips, the mother plant ... the 'seedling' could be any plant in which a name or code has not been assigned, such as the photos shown of the seedlings I have hybridized. The parentage can also be displayed in other ways.

    'Peace' x ('Arthur Bell' x 'John Davis') ... the names given with the brackets indicate the plant (seedling) that was obtained from crossing 'Arthur Bell' with 'John Davis'.

    'Peace' OP (open pollinated) means that seeds had been collected from 'Peace' when no intentional hybridization had been undertaken, though bees could have had their say in the matter.

    "Ohhh Terry I lost my order form to get roses from you can you resend it" ... SCG, if you can make it this way, I think you said possibly summer 2015, I'm then hoping to have many good selections to enjoy viewing.

  • SouthCountryGuy Zone 4b-5 SE BC
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks for the info folks.

    I think I am missing an integral part of hybridizing. In the first example it was said that peace was chosen to carry the hips. Does that mean it is like the surrogate mother donating no genetics to the seeds?

    LOL Terry that was a lame attempt at further badgering you.

  • FrozeBudd_z3/4
    10 years ago

    'Peace' had donated 50% of its genes ... Get it? Got it? Good! ... lol

  • SouthCountryGuy Zone 4b-5 SE BC
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Ahhh...it struck home thanks. LOL...

    Thanks

  • FrozeBudd_z3/4
    10 years ago

    LOL ... it's okay, believe me, there's lots to learn when it comes to rose breeding and I don't even know half of it when it come to all the genetic stuff.

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