Rose bushes are highly appreciated plants for their great beauty and for the fragrance of their flowers, widely valued throughout the world as one of the best decorative flowers. Its use is so widespread and specialized, that the usual thing is that the majority of rose bushes that we see are not a single common species, but a graft of two or even three of them. This is done to take advantage of the roots and stems of stronger species and the spectacular flowering of other weaker species, or even to obtain different roses, which are impossible to achieve in any other way.
if you want to learn how to graft rose bushes In order to enjoy the best characteristics of two different plants, join us in this EcologíaVerde article in which you will see a complete guide with steps and advice on grafting rose bushes.
When to graft roses
The first question to clarify is what is the best time to graft rose bushes, since grafting is a very aggressive process for both plants, but especially for the grafted bud, so it cannot be done at any time of the year. To maximize the chances of graft successwe must find the optimal time for the plant.
In the case of grafts of rose bushesthis happens normally in summer, after flowering. The best time for bud pruning and grafting is about a week after flower wilting on the flower stalk in question.
It is important to have abundantly watered the plant the days before bud removal, but on the day of grafting it is better to do so without having watered the plant yet. The best times of day for this are in the morning or at sunset. Knowing this, we can now delve into how to graft a rosebush.
How to graft rose bushes step by step
One of the most used methods when it comes to grafting rose bushes is grafting by escutcheon. This usually gives good results on this plant in most cases if done well. Follow these instructions to find out how to graft a rosebush step by step:
- The first thing is to completely sterilize the tools you are going to use. You will need some very sharp pruning shears and a knife, also as sharp as possible. Tools in good condition ensure cleaner cuts, something vital for the health of the plant. Make sure you disinfect them properly before you start.
- Once this is ready, you can proceed to extract the bud of the rose bush that we are going to graft. Cut the middle leaf bud from a stem where the flower has wilted about a week earlier.
- Prepare the rootstock, which is the plant that will provide sustenance to the new graft, thanks to its roots and stem. Sometimes male rose bushes of another species are used as a pattern, stronger but without flowers, although we can also use other types of trees or shrubs.
- For the gusset graft, make an incision in the shape of a T or inverted T, which is where you will place the graft. It is very important to cut only the bark and not the innermost part of the stem, otherwise the graft will fail.
- Open the lips of the cut carefully to seat the bud inside the cut, so that it fits as well as possible, trying to maximize the contact surface between the two plants.
- Once the bud is seated in the rootstock, reposition the lips of the cut and secure the graft with grafting tape or another material, such as raffia twine. Hold the graft firmly in place with your thumb as you apply the support material.
- After two weeks, remove the tape to check the condition of the graft. If it has been successful, it should be noticeable already. If the graft has not worked, you will have to repeat the operation from the beginning with a new cut and a new bud.
- In successful grafts, between the end of winter and the beginning of spring of the following year, the rootstock is pruned above the graft, so that from that moment all the energy goes to the grafted part.
This process is commonly used both when searching for how to graft a tall standing rose bushas if it is graft a climbing rose. Sometimes we can even find ourselves before double-grafted rosebushes, in which the roots and base of the stem are from one plant, the trunk or main stem from another and finally the cup of the desired flowering rosebush is from a third plant, so They had to do two grafts.
How to graft a rosebush so that it gives roses of two colors
The gusset technique it can also be used to graft roses of a certain color into a pattern with roses of another color. In this way, when the graft is successful, it allows the rosebush gives flowers of both colors, or even more if we perform more grafts. Therefore, you will need to make a cutting from one of the plants with the appropriate cut for a graft, in order to later be able to graft the rosebush, as we have explained before, on the other plant.
Logically, in this specific case, the rootstock is not completely pruned above the graft, since we want to maintain the flowering of both.
Caring for a grafted rose bush
After grafting the rose bush, it will need some more specific care, since it is a process, as we have said, very aggressive for the plant. We recommend you follow these tips on caring for a grafted rose bush:
- During the two weeks following grafting, the plant will need more frequent and abundant watering than usual. The aim is to keep the soil moist at all times, but always without flooding.
- During the first year, it is advisable to prune the first two or four shoots of the scion to give the graft time to fully settle.
- It is good to add some compost substrate or earthworm humus to the soil to give it extra nutrients.
- Lastly, and as always, roses will need good lighting and an airy environment.
After knowing all this, now we recommend you read this post about How to care for a potted rose bush.
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