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Rose Propagation & Exchange
sowandgrow

Rootstock question.

11 years ago

I haven't seen this asked so it is probably a really dumb question but you all talk about dr. Huey and multiflora rootstock, but is it possible to root cuttings of some of the real hardy roses and use that for rootstock? I don't have anywhere to get the multiflora, but I do have quite a few very hardy roses. And had good luck rooting them. Or dig up some of the wild roses growing everywhere and use that. I would like to try that now as I am retiring soon and like to try new things. And it would be fun to try grafting or chip budding that I have been reading about.And if they were just my cuttings I wouldn't feel bad about killing some. LOL

Featured Answer
  • 11 years ago

    Nice link--excellent photos.

    Sow&grow--yes, this May/June, I'll cut the the cane of the rootstock, (the Fortuniana plant) between each bud, & root it under mist. The root stock, by definition, is easy to root. It will already have a successful bud growing on it.
    Here's a photo of a Fortuniana cane with lots of things budded to it. You can see that several of the buds (the 2 Kordes Brilliant at the bottom, especially) have grown into substantial canes. I could harvest cuttings from these to grow own-root--they are big enough--but I'm confident enough that the Fortuniana will root this summer with the buds already developed into canes.

    So, you might think, why go to all that trouble? Why not bud onto rooted sticks? Well, that IS even better. NOW, I have lots of sticks of various root stocks already rooted in band pots--this summer, I am READY to BUD!

    Rooted Dr. Huey sticks:


    Rooted Banksia stick, already planted in a band & ready to bud:



    When you get confident that you can root & bud reliably, the very easiest thing is to root & bud together. In early summer, cut your root stock canes, sit on your porch & bud them, then stick them under mist to root & for the buds to heal. Bud & root in one operation. I've done some of this, but am not confident enough in my success to choose this method every time. Especially with marginal or scarce scions, I prefer to bud to already rooted sticks--just one operation to deal with at a time.

    Here's a Pink Clouds stick budded last fall. I've trimmed off the top, Pink Clouds, growth. You can see three scions sprouting enthusiastically. Yes, tape as many buds as you want on a stick. I like to do 3-4.

    It's shockingly easy if you use the right materials. I'd say using Parafilm is a must--it's cheap, you can get it from Amazon for ~ $2.50 per roll & it's vastly superior to the old florists' tape.

    I first tried it years back--in total ignorance--just fooling around. I tried to graft actual stems, not buds, I did it in cool weather, I used florists' tape---everything wrong--& got zero success.

    I had no real incentive to try again until I started getting interested in some of the old HTs--always hard for me to root, & often poor plants own-root (e.g. Talisman--achingly beautiful bloom, such a poor plant own-root, & getting hard to find). They weren't available from Vintage anymore & if I didn't learn to bud, I couldn't maintain them, get many flowers or be able to share them.

    Confusing photo, but the big cane on the right is from a Talisman bud on RR. In a couple of months growth in the late spring, that bud made a cane larger than the own-root mother plant that's a couple of years old--and this isn't unusual.

    You'll have much better luck using buds, doing budding during warm weather (when the plants are actively growing & pushing the sap that will feed the buds while they're knitting into the stock) & using Parafilm--which actually lets you tape over the bud, snugging it into the cane firmly.

    After actually studying it recently, using chip budding, Parafilm & doing it at the right time of year, I got successful takes on everything I tried: Talisman on Ragged Robin, Mme. de la Roch-Lambert on Spray Cecil Brunner, etc.

    Here's a photo of one of my first tries. Mme. de la Roche was dying, so I slapped a few buds on a vigorous Spray Cecil Brunner plant--what was there to lose? That was in fall. Next spring, I was astonished to see a mossy cane shooting out from Spray Cecile! Then the 2 auxiliary buds sprout canes--neat! Another confusing photo, but I'm pulling the prickly Mme. dlRL cane out from the Spray Cecile Brunner bush it's still budded to. It's now several feet long.

    Since the excitement of getting it right I started a bunch of things last year & am enjoying seeing them develop. It's easy & presents success with just a little playing around. I hope you'll enjoy budding this year.

    This page from Kim's (Roseseek's) blog has very clear photos of all steps

    Pushing the Rose Envelop--budding

    And this video, showing Burling Leong's method is also very clear:

    chip budding Burling Leong's method

    Comments (8)

    • 11 years ago

      It is not a dumb question.
      The main requirements for a good rootstock are that it roots easily & that it will accept & "push", i.e., grow buds taped to it. It also has to have long-lived canes, so a HT wouldn't be a good long-term choice. And thornlessness, or at least having long smooth areas along the canes is very nice.
      And ideally, the bark should "slip" well--lift easily & cleanly to make a place for the bud chip.

      Many roses will do both & it's somewhat climate/soil related. Dr. Huey is very good for me as it does well in our alkaline soils.

      Fortuniana is popular as being a good southern stock that is nematode resistant. It's pushed every single thing I've put on it, but I can't root it in cool weather. It roots easily from May--Sept., won't do a thing from fall through winter. But I like it very much & will root plenty this summer.

      Ragged Robin began to be used accidentally, as I recall, & it turned out to work well in some areas. Been good here.

      Banksia is used in some areas to make long thornless whips for standards.


      IXL is a multiflora hybrid. It & De La Grifferaie are used for standards--both root easily & make big strong canes that push sap strongly.


      Ralph Moore used Pink Clouds & it's been great with whatever I've put on it.

      You most certainly can & should experiment if it sounds fun. This past fall, I desperately needed root stocks & I slapped buds on everything in the yard. One of the very best? Spray Cecile Brunner! Caldwell Pink was also very good, as were Pink Clouds, Ragged Robin & Fortuniana. Dr. Huey hasn't pushed buds as vigorously, but I have only the past fall's experience to judge so far--it has accepted almost any bud & I expect them to push when the weather warms.
      It is very fun & the results can be astonishing--1'-2' growth of cane from a tiny bud put on a good stock in a couple of months in the summer.
      Am looking forward to trying Banksia, De La Grifferaie & IXL this summer. I have a bunch of sticks of various things rooted. Shoot me an e-mail if you'd like some.


    • 11 years ago

      I can send you several Dr Hueys that can be cut down small or just cuttings or whathaveyou if you'd ever want any.

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    • 11 years ago

      If your bud is free of RMV you might want to only use it on RMV free rootstock as well.


      I have a bloom on my pink clouds. I can see why it makes such good rootstock, that plant wants to grow! I plan on starting some longer sections and staking for mini tree roses

    • 11 years ago

      Thank you Bluegirl for your detailed response. Loved that (ran around the yard slapping buds on everything)..sounds like something I would do. So am I understanding this right..You put the bud on a rose and once the bud starts growing you cut the cane off and then root that? Sorry I don't know too much about this yet.

      Thank you for your very generous offers. I see my zone information some how disappeared from my profile. Unfortunately I am in zone three so I am not sure if your rootstock would work for me. How many try's before you were successful, just curious.


      Oh Kippy how lucky you are to live in that zone. I can't imagine how cute mini tree roses would be. Please post some pictures.

    • 11 years ago
      last modified: 11 years ago

      sowandgrow, take a look at this information from the Wisconsin Roses site. Steve sells newly budded (on R. multiflora rootstock) "maidens." He shows you the process once the bud has started to grow out. You don't cut off the cane of the bud, you cut off the canes of the rootstock, leaving just the part of the cane that has the budded variety. His pictures and explanation should help. http://www.wiroses.com/maiden_explanation.html

    • 11 years ago


      Thank you so much!!! Your pictures really helped me get the picture. I am just amazed at the difference grafted made versus own root on Talisman. thats amazing that you can put a bunch of buds on one cane.I printed out all the info from the links. Thanks Diane, I had been on that website but hadn't looked at that info. I was hoping to maybe get some multiflora rootstock from him but he buys it from a wholesaler from Canada. I can hardly wait to give this a try. I can see already this could get to be an obsession.

      Bluegirl, I see some pvc pipe, did you build a hoop house to keep your cuttings under?

    • 11 years ago

      Yes, yes I did! I started budding a lot last summer & wanted to do what I could to keep rooting cuttings & rootstocks through the year. Also tucked the budded sticks under there.
      worked pretty well, though I couldn't root Fortuniana sticks past September--seems to want a lot more warmth, as it rooted easily from summer through early fall.

      Next year I'll try to create more of a hot bed--stack up a bunch of horse poop in that bed to ferment & create more warmth. I used a lot of wet alfalfa hay & it did heat up, but not as much as I wanted.


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