Grafting is a technique for propagating plants by taking a piece from one specimen and "fusing" it into another. To tell the truth, roses are easier to propagate using cutting, but grafting is still possible, especially when it comes to a variety with beautiful flowers but a weak root system. One of the most popular methods of grafting them is the "T-bud" procedure, but it takes some practice and patience to perfect it.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Preparing the Plants
Step 1. Choose the right period
You should graft the roses in the middle of summer, as this is when the sap flows through them and you are therefore more likely to succeed, allowing the new rose to thrive.
The best time is when the mid-summer flowering cycle is over, usually in August
Step 2. Choose the graft
Also called scion, it is the part of the plant that must be grafted into another. When it comes to roses, the graft is chosen based on the beauty of the flowers, so that they continue to develop even after the procedure.
- The most suitable scion is represented by a young branch; it should have already established leaves, have recently flowered and should have already begun to develop woody parts.
- For best results, choose one whose bloom has recently wilted.
Step 3. Choose a hypobiont
Also known as rootstock, it is the plant that welcomes the scion; it is chosen for its state of health and resistance, but it must not have more beautiful flowers than the graft; for the procedure to be successful, the hypobiont must be another rose plant.
Two of the most suitable rose varieties for this purpose are Rambling and Fortuniana
Step 4. Water the plants well before proceeding
Roses need a lot of water to thrive, and grafting is more likely to be successful if the scion and rootstock have been given plenty of water prior to treatment. Ideally, you should start watering both of them every day for the two weeks leading up to work.
Make sure they have been watered abundantly in the two days and evening prior to grafting
Part 2 of 3: Grafting the Roses
Step 1. Sterilize the knife
Plants are susceptible to viruses, bacteria and fungi, just like humans. You can avoid the spread of disease by working with sterilized gardening tools, especially when you have to follow a delicate procedure such as grafting; in this way you not only ensure a good outcome, but also allow the plant to survive.
- The easiest way to sterilize the knife is to use ethanol or isopropyl alcohol.
- Take a clean rag or cloth dipped in alcohol and scrub the blade thoroughly, making sure you clean the tip, sides and base of the knife thoroughly; wait for the blade to air dry for a few minutes.
Step 2. Prune the hypobiont
Use clean scissors and prune the plant you will graft on by removing the foliage, flowers and withered stems. Choose a healthy branch with many well-developed leaves as a grafting site; remove all the shoots and thorns from the middle section of this stem using the knife.
- Actually it is not strictly necessary to remove the thorns, but this way you avoid injuring yourself during the procedure.
- On the other hand, it is important to remove the buds, because the new ones must develop from the scion and not from the rootstock.
- Make sure the incision you make is at a 45 ° angle to reduce damage and increase lymph circulation.
Step 3. Make a "T" cut on the rootstock
Take the pruning knife and proceed by making a 2-3 cm incision in the bark, taking care to shape it in the shape of a "T"; be careful not to reach the bill, which is moist and light green in color. Use the tip of the blade to gently open the tabs you created on the bark.
The ideal place to make this cut is the central area of the stem, halfway between two nodes (the points where the leaves and buds grow)
Step 4. Cut and trim a stem
Choose one you want to use as a graft; cut off the top and bottom, leaving a central section of 5 cm. Make sure there is at least one bud in this area, from which a new leaf could develop.
- Take the knife and cut off all the thorns, shoots and leaves present.
- Cut the stem 2-3 cm below the lower bud.
Step 5. Cut the scion from the stem
Place the knife on the stem just above the bud and insert the blade deep enough to pierce the bark and reach the cambium layer just below that carries nutrients to the whole plant.
Then remove the gem, taking care to also take the layer under the bark
Step 6. Immediately insert the scion into the rootstock
Make sure that the bud is facing up, as this will ensure that the stem is in the correct direction. When you insert the graft, the flaps of the bark open around it; push it all the way into the "T" cut, leaving the bud well exposed on the top of the two edges of the bark.
At this point, the cambium layer of the scion and the hypobiont come into contact, and it is precisely this that allows the grafting
Step 7. Get some tape to secure it
Close the flaps of the bark above the branch portion, wrapping them with a few layers of grafting tape; cover the top and bottom of the gem, while leaving it exposed.
Don't be afraid to gently pull the tape to tighten it, as doing so will ensure that the changing layers stay in contact with each other
Part 3 of 3: Caring for Grafted Roses
Step 1. Provide plenty of water for the plant
When it is engaged, it needs to drink a lot; in the next two weeks you have to water it every day to keep the soil constantly moist; you don't have to over-soak it, but make sure it's wet all the time.
Step 2. Cut the first buds of the scion
When this begins to develop new growth on the rootstock, it forms a new shoot; however, even if the graft is already stabilized, the new bud can be too heavy and cause damage at the insertion point. To reduce stress in this area, you need to cut the first 3-4 shoots that emerge until the assemblage point has completely healed.
- For this, use a sharp knife or scissors and remove the sprouts as soon as they appear.
- To give the new plant the best chance to develop, you can also prune the hypobiont above the graft point.
Step 3. Let the tape fall off by itself
It is a specific product that decomposes spontaneously and falls over time; avoid removing it from the plant. Once enough time has elapsed, you may notice that it comes off on its own; this natural process ensures that it stays in place for the time it takes to allow the cut to heal.
