Grafted Roses and Rootstock

If you're comparing the advantages of grafted roses vs. own root (in theory, say) here's a reality check: you don't get to decide what's available! Many (especially larger) producers still primarily grow grafted roses, so if you want the rose of your dreams - you may need to be flexible on grafted roses and even the rootstock used by the supplier. Speaking of rootstock, there are 3 main commercial rootstocks ('Dr. Huey', R. Multiflora & R. x 'Fortuniana') you may want to be familiar with. Truth be told, there have been plenty of different rootstock varieties used over the years, and some growers are still likely testing new varieties. In this video, I'll go through some of the basics of why you'd consider choosing a grafted rose for your garden.

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Photo credits:

Bud Grafting Diagram by Giancarlodessi CC BY-SA 3.0

Dr. Huey by 掬茶 CC BY-SA 4.0

Rosa x ‘Fortuniana’ by Malcolm Manners CC BY 2.0

Bad grafting diagrams by yours truly!

[juliannadoyle]

Hi from Gold Coast Queensland Australia. Your teaching sharing is just such a blessing to me. The rainbow in the sky behind you is such a sign beautiful sign from God. Your teaching is clear and concise. Many thanks
Bless you and your family and business. Keep making the videos they are such a blessing
to me.

[beiderbecke]

Thanks so much for clearing this up for me. I have both grafted and root stock in my garden here in Grand Rapids, and both perform very well, but my gardens are only 3 years old, so time might tell. In 1965 my grandmother who lived in Costa Mesa, CA, gave my mother a cutting from her Queen Elizabeth rose, and it flourished forever in our garden in San Diego. When I was leaving California, I sent cuttings to a friend in Atlanta, and it's thriving there. Now that he's retired, I'm going to have him send me cuttings from that bush, so the tradition lives on. I do have a Queen Elizabeth in my garden here, and it brings back lots of memories.

[annebeck]

I just dove into the idea of grafting and learned a few things: For US growers, UC Davis offers lots of different rootstocks (and overstock roses) cheaply, they are cuttings and need to be rooted. Small companies offer Fortuniana and multiflora as roses that could be used to graft. Also I was able to order 2 R. Canina rootstock seeds (from a very reputable company.) Now I need to warm stratify for months, then cold stratify, then plant. Once they grow I can try grafting as an experiment!

[drewsample]

I'm digging the rainbows in most of the outdoor shots.

[DayTrader__]

Thank you for your video. I just have found your channel. Going to benge watch later tonight 😂
This past year I have found a new calling with flowers and I absolutely love roses.
Looking forward to learning a lot from you, your channel and you faithful followers.
Thanks again. 🙃

[Naecofranck]

I learn so much with your channel ! big thanks ! I understand now why some "landscape rose" (I don't no the english term, such like DécorosierⓇ) are sold grafted.

[annebeck]

So very Palatine often uses Laxa on OGR for the suckering of those like Charles de Mill, but they did not this year and may not next year, according to the e-mail they sent me.. A small group of rose growers is trying Fortuniana as a way to help roses be more drought tolerant in low rainfall climates. I agree about Distant Drums needs either warm weather or grafting as everyone (including nurseries) around the wet cool PNW has said when I did a survey of around 100 rosarians. Now to find DD on Multiflora instead of Rose Mosaiced Huey.

[KatesGarden]

I really enjoy your videos, this one’s no exception 👍
I also find them useful for broader plant types even though you’re speaking specifically about roses. For example, a lot of fruit trees are also grafted and I suspect a lot of these ideas could be applied to them too.
Thanks again 👍

[darrylrowley]

Great video. Thanks mate. I'll put a link for it into ARE so the members can catch up. Well done.

[donnamack]

Really enjoyed your presentation, which I was just watching on my television.

My experiences with grafted vs own root are really interesting. When I started, I didn't know that it mattered. I read a great book about northern gardens, and a family in the Chicago suburbs swore by Pickering Nurseries (how I miss them!!!) They had a lot of old garden roses, which is where I started. So I ordered from them. Their roses were grafted on multiflora, and bareroot. Because of the light weight of bare root roses, they were dirt cheap. Their two-foot bare roots were $14.00 each, and shipping for three or four roses was $18.00. So I went nuts. The trick was getting them into the ground, and Pickering was great about advising that you dig the holes before you even unwrap them, which was good for me because I found soaking roses was iffy. Using their instructions, I had 100% success. I have Pickering roses that I bought over 20 years ago that have never reverted, even though I actually exposed the graft union of Marie Pavie.

I had to laugh when you mentioned Charles de Mills. I bought one from Forest Farm, which doesn't generally provide roses. It came with blooms in the box! I love this rose. That was in 2012. The only issue for me was that thrips would attack them and destroy the blooms. I apply a systemic (acephate) that prevents it (they do it to white peonies and deutzia scabra too!) Wonderful rose. Then, in 2018, one appeared to the left - perfectly spaced. In 2019 a second one to the left of the sucker, perfectly placed. Then a third in 2020. Again, great placement! But last year one appeared in front of the original rose outside the bed, and that puppy will have to be moved. Pushy Chuck!

Now I go with own root only, unless there is a particular reason. I really wanted rose 'At Last', which is just spectacular, a blooming wonder. I ordered it from White Flower Farm and was surprised and pleased to find that my one-gallon plant was own root! Great!

[christinerowan]

Such wonderful advice! Thank you. You rock!

[ginaiosef]

Thank you so much, very instructive and very well explained your videos, I love flowers and obviously roses 😊, but I don't know much about them so I learn so much from your videos, I am so grateful, thank you ❤! ... And that rainbow behind, what a great view for good auspicious!

[judymckerrow]

Thank you Jason. Great information! 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄❄️💚🙃

[RoseLover]

I can't wait for more rose propagation videos!!!

[megonzalez]

I love roses, thank you for the video. Very informative. Ester. From Texas😊

[chelsea]

I do the same like you. I bought grafted one and propagated the own root. Do have trouble with grafted like crown gall and kanker that tiring me. Thanks for the sharing. Appreciate it.

[mobmob]

If you were to see me in the street or public environment you would probably just look at me and say “eh just another thug looking for trouble” … and you might of been right a few years back on the latter…

Sometimes I find myself in the garden section looking at the plants and I get funny looks like if I was going to shove a rose in my pants and walk out or something .. the truth is I never liked a thief especially those who take from their own people who worked for what they got…

Dont get me wrong I’m still a knuckle head but I’d never hurt a innocent person or thing.

Thank you for these lessons it really does help me find a way out and keep me busy trying to propagate roses . Even after dozens of failed attempts I havnt given up on the rose . My girlfriend looks at me like I’m crazy with all these boxes of cuttings and buckets of medium ..

there’s a garden ran by a university and older master gardeners which when i was incarcerated as a juvenile, was trusted and granted the privileged to be able to pull weeds at the rose test garden,

Years later it’s still there and I go there and take some cuttings, only because I remember one of the master gardeners years ago said i was part of this garden now and could come as i please… I always wonder if they still remember me when im there because I never am questioned by any of them or even bothered .
I know a couple of them just look at me from the distance and think to themselves “ huh a thug picking some roses and taking some cuttings “ ..:.

I hope master gardeners read this and if you see some thug picking a rose cuttings just know he probably trying to get away from his past and be left alone .. most the time…

[raj_tweets]

Yup it's good, bcz some plants its very difficult to produce roots, we can grow very fast by using a already rooted plants.

[loganpirie]

Late to the party here, but would love a video on roses that don’t do well on their own root.

[scallywags]

I would say 80% of my roses on on their own roots. I had Double Delight tea rose which was grafted it it only lasted 3 years then kicked the bucket. So own roots better! A lot of my old roses came from the Old rose nursery on Hornby island, BC. So sad it is not there any more.