Chapter 5 - Stocks For Budding And Grafting

I am convinced that by far the greater number of the most perfect Roses may be, are, and will be, grown and shown from our indigenous British Briar, taken from the hedgerows, struck from cuttings, or raised from seed.

Dean Reynolds Hole

It may well be said that propagation is the very soul of gardening, for without it in one or more of its many forms, growing plants on any large scale is hardly possible. Propagation is also among the most fascinating of all garden practices, perhaps with roses most of all.

Roses are increased in four ways: by budding, the most commonly used method, by grafting, by cuttings, and by seed, the last-named being used for the production of new varieties. Grafting is rarely used as a means of increase by amateurs and is confined to those who force roses under glass for the cut-flower trade, and also for increasing a stock of new varieties quickly.

Growing plants from cuttings, however, is just the reverse, as it is rarely used commercially. Practically all the plants sent out by the nurseries are budded plants, and although I have read of it being described as a pernicious practice, I fail to see the reason for this assertion. If all the plants sent out by the nurserymen were grown on their own roots, i.e. from cuttings, it is doubtful whether they could be sold for less than half a guinea a plant, for it would take at least three years to produce a plant comparable with a one-year-old budded plant, which is the type it is customary to receive from nurseries. Although the rose growth is one year old, the root is two years old. As the commercial growers are able to purchase these stocks specially grown for the purpose, a great saving in time results. Again, great difficulty is experienced in rooting many varieties. All the yellow varieties and the flame and the orange shades are extremely shy of making roots on their own account, but they are easily propagated by budding. Nearly all the reds, pinks and creams can be induced to root with varying success, depending, for the most part, on weather conditions.

Stocks for budding bush roses

However, let us deal with budding first. Of all the different ways of increasing stocks of plants, budding roses is, in my opinion, the most fascinating. Wild stocks budded in July will be in bloom in less than twelve months, and will, in many instances, produce blooms of the very highest quality. Naturally, if roses are to be budded, stocks must be available. Garden roses will grow on the roots of any of the genus rosa, but only a few kinds will guarantee that the resulting plants will have a long life. Rosa canina is one of the stocks generally favored by commercial growers, usually in the form of seedlings, but sometimes grown from cuttings, and the long stems obtained from the hedgerows are used for standards. Rosa multiflora (both seedlings and cuttings) is preferred by nurserymen whose soil is light. Rosa rugosa is mostly used as stems for standards. Rosa laxa (seedlings and cuttings) is very similar in habit to Rosa canina, but practically thornless and so preferred by budders on that account. Then there is a whole host of sub-species of Rosa canina, many of them selected types and usually bearing the name of the raiser.

As far as the amateur is concerned, stocks grown from cuttings are the best means of obtaining the necessary material for budding. As I mentioned earlier, a rose will grow upon any other rose, and since beginners are generally impatient to see a result it is as well to begin with some free-rooting material. Then having whetted his appetite for budding, the novice should either obtain some briar seedlings from the nurseryman where his roses are purchased, or prepare and strike his own briar cuttings.

One of the roses which forms roots most easily is the Rambler, American Pillar. Roses budded on this will do quite well for at least a few years, and even if the plants ultimately produced do not have a very long life, one has at any rate learnt how to bud and will be spurred on to further efforts.

American Pillar is to be found in most gardens, and cuttings inserted in the soil any time from October to the end of the year will be fit for budding in the following August. It has, also, a slightly thicker bark than most of the other ramblers.

The method of making the cuttings is very simple. Select one of the new long growths, choosing one about as thick as an ordinary pencil. Cut it up into lengths of about nine or ten inches, discarding the top portion as it will be soft and unripe. With a sharp knife cut off the stem about a quarter of an inch below the lowest eye and then cut out the eyes except two at the top. When removing these eyes make two cuts one above and one below, in the form of a wedge. If the eyes are merely skimmed there is a likelihood of the buds building up again and causing suckering. If there are any leaves on the growth they should be removed to facilitate the work.

The cuttings when made can be planted straight into the position in which they are to be budded, or they can be put in closely in another part of the garden with a view to planting them in their final quarters in early spring.

One of the commonest faults with would-be budders is the failure to appreciate the importance of the stock on which the rose is to grow. On very many occasions I have given stocks to friends who, during budding time, became very enthusiastic, and on enquiring whether they have had any success, I have been told that the stocks did not grow. On inspection I have found that although my instructions to put them in a row across the kitchen garden were carried out to the letter, I said nothing about a row of vegetables on either side, which ultimately almost covered the entire stocks. Had they been rose bushes instead of merely wild stocks they would have received the treatment one would naturally give to such plants, but the fact that, with care, the following year they would have been rose bushes never seems to have occurred to the would-be budders. Such people very rarely make a second attempt, but how different are those who have grown their stocks well and in consequence have had quite a good slice of beginner's luck in their budding operations. Next year they prepare more stocks and so build up a sizeable collection.

The method I have indicated in preparing stocks applies to all kinds of wild roses that are suitable. Both Rosa multiflora and Rosa rugosa can be used in the same way as American Pillar and budded the following year. The common Rosa canina, however, cannot be so treated very successfully, and it is usual for those who use this stock to plant the unrooted cuttings about an inch apart in the rows and allow them to occupy this position until the autumn of the following year. Then they are lifted and planted out in their budding quarters. By this means it is possible to select only the best rooted ones, discarding those which have not formed strong roots, since those which merely have thin fibers rarely grow satisfactorily.

There is a very wide variation in the types of the common briar, and all those intending to use this as a stock would be well advised to take note of the plants growing in the hedges about the countryside. By doing so it is possible to introduce into one's garden a really good stock for one's roses. Choose a plant for cuttings which has large leaves and few thorns or prickles. The absence of these will be appreciated at budding time, and it also leaves a cleaner stem for budding later. November is the best time of the year for making and inserting these cuttings. They should be about nine inches in length, and have all the lower eyes removed, leaving two at the top. Plant the cuttings about seven inches deep, leaving the two eyes above the soil. They should be about an inch apart and fifteen inches left between the rows.

The use of one of the root-promoting substances will be found to be advantageous. The one I have learnt by experience to be very good for the purpose is in powder form. All that it is necessary to do is to prepare the cuttings, damp the ends on a wet cloth, and then dip them in the powder so that a certain amount adheres to the cuttings. It must be appreciated that these hormones or growth substances are present to a greater or lesser extent in all plants. In some plants, like willows for instance, they are spread all over the plants and so when any part is put in the ground roots will be formed. In many other plants the hormones are confined to the eyes on the stems, which explains the reason for always cutting just below an eye when one requires the stem cutting to root. Whether the eye is left intact or cut out does not seem to make any difference; roots will be formed only at the point where the eyes were.

Generally speaking, the common briar is not a very free-rooting subject, and the use of some synthetic hormone does help to a very great extent. As far as the other root-stocks I have mentioned are concerned, they do not require any such help, and in fact it might easily be a hindrance in causing the death of the cutting. Both rugosa and multiflora form roots quite readily without being treated in any way.

When the briar cuttings have been rooted they should be lifted in the following November and planted out where they are to be budded. Care should be exercised in the lifting process as it is quite easy to break off all the roots in the soil if it has not been loosened thoroughly. After lifting, the roots and top growth should be trimmed back to about three or four inches, removing any roots that have formed on the stem. One can then plant the cuttings in rows in the kitchen garden with a view to transplanting them a year after budding, or one can plant them in the position where they are to remain and so avoid transplanting. In the latter case, the ground should be well prepared in the same way as if a complete rose bush was being planted. Do not apply manure to the soil unless it is known to be very poor, as one should avoid having too much vigor in the growth of the stock, for buds take much better on the stocks when the growth is constant but slower. The stocks should be planted to a depth of about three inches on heavy soils, and an inch or so deeper on lighter mediums. It will be found to be an advantage at budding time if the plant is put in so that the stem leans over at a slight angle.

Stocks for standard roses

The creation of standard roses is a thing that appeals mostly to the novice, and in the majority of instances it is on these briar stems that they make their first attempt at budding. I remember that my first budding was done on a briar growing in a neighbour's garden the first year I began growing roses. It was successful and grew into quite a good plant of Madame Caroline Testout, and my sole instruction was obtained from the illustrations in the gardening press.

There are two methods of obtaining briar stems for the production of standard roses. The first is to grub them out of the hedge or copse with a portion of the original root. This is the means employed by the people who make a practice of supplying the rose nurseries with these briars. All that one requires is a small mattock or something similar, a pair of strong secateurs, strong gloves and one's oldest clothes. The best stems are those of not less than three years of age, anything younger will be pithy and will not make satisfactory growth when planted. One should also reject those with blackened stems, as these denote old age. The object should be to get these stems out with some root on the end, but as a rule it is a lump of the older part of the root of the parent tree that one obtains.

In preparing these for planting, the root ends should be trimmed, reducing them to a minimum. A saw will be necessary for this job, and the sawn surface must be pared with a knife afterwards. If these briar stems are gathered and planted some time before the end of the year, most of those that grow will be fit for budding in July or August. Three laterals should be allowed to grow at the top of the stem, the height of which will be determined by the wish of the grower. If it is desired to grow Ramblers on them the stems can be left anything up to six feet in height, anything taller than six feet will only give a poor result. For budding varieties like President Hoover, Betty Uprichard or any other tall-growing kinds, two feet six inches or three feet is tall enough, but in no case should the height of the stem be more than three feet after being planted. It can be taken as a general rule that the taller the stem the less vigorous the rose growing on it will be.

For some years past I have employed another method of obtaining briars for standards. Let me say at once that this method is only for those who are prepared to go to some additional trouble in order to produce first-class standard roses. One of the great drawbacks to the usual method employed, is the persistent suckering which always takes place, and I have found that by treating the stems as long cuttings and inducing them to form roots this trouble is almost eliminated. Therefore, instead of grubbing the stems out with a portion of the old root attached, I merely cut them off above ground level, or in fact, cut off any part of the rose in which there is suitable growth. I gather a certain number of these every year, not so much because I require them as finished trees, for there are certain limits to the number of standard roses one's garden can accommodate, but in order to experiment in the rooting process. Having carried out these experiments for seven years, I have learnt quite a lot about the subject and have formed certain conclusions.

Using this method, only the best stems, that is those likely to have a fairly long life as a tree, will form roots. Those stems under three years of age do not root readily, and I find that stems up to six years of age, provided they have been supporting vigorous growth, can be as good as younger ones. Not more than three in a hundred of these stems produce suckers after the tree is established.

One great advantage is that the gathering of the stems is much easier. Armed with a pair of long-handled secateurs, it is a matter of moments to cut stems from the most inaccessible places. Furthermore, it does not matter from which part of the bush the growth comes, high up or low down, one is just as useful as the other, whereas, in grubbing the stems out, only from those that originate below the surface of the soil is it possible to obtain roots. In choosing the stems I am always governed by the growth at the top of the stem. If this is weak I reject them. Thickness of the stems is not of great importance, for I have rooted those an inch in diameter as well as some less than half as thick. The ideal is about five-eighths or three-quarters of an inch in diameter. When I first began rooting these stems, only about thirty per cent rooted, no doubt owing to the use of unsuitable stems. Since then I have steadily improved and have rooted as many as ninety per cent.

After being gathered the stems should be treated in the same way as cuttings for dwarf stocks. First attend to the basal end. With a saw, cut the end about three-eighths of an inch below an eye. This eye may not be easy to discover at first, but it will always be present, just above the scar of the leaf stalk. Having sawn it off cleanly without in any way damaging the rind, pare it with a sharp knife. The lower eyes should then be removed (about four or five should suffice), as these will be below the surface of the soil when the stems are planted. The eyes should be removed by two cuts in the form of a wedge so there is no possibility of the 'germ' in the eye building up and producing growth later on. The stem should then be shortened back to the desired height, cutting just above an eye. I find that four feet is the best length, allowing, as it does, for a slight dying back at the top.

When all the stems are completed the ends should be wetted and dipped into the root-promoting hormone powder. They should afterwards be tied into bundles of ten, keeping the stems all level at the base so that when they are placed in the soil none of the stems will be hung up. I have found that rooting is accelerated when the stems are close together as a certain amount of heat is generated when they are placed in the soil. Choose the driest and best-drained part of the garden for laying the stems in, for to allow them to lie in waterlogged ground during the winter would be fatal. I usually put them in the soil at an angle of about forty-five degrees as by this means a larger part of the stems is covered with soil, thus protecting them from the effects of severe weather and allowing the bases of the stems to be nearer the surface of the soil. I have never had occasion to do so, but I believe it would be advantageous to cover the stems with straw or bracken during the severe weather, for if they are frozen in the soil, callus formation must be delayed. I have planted them out in November as soon as they have been prepared, but the results were not nearly as good as when laid in for the winter.

When planting out I like to choose a day in mid-March when there is not a drying wind. If there is a slight drizzle but not sufficient to make it unpleasant to work, so much the better, as there will be no danger of the stems drying out which might very well prove disastrous. If you have no choice, and the job has to be carried out at week-ends, it is a wise thing to have handy a bucket containing a mixture of clay and water, so that as the stems are Lifted from their winter quarters, they can be dipped in the bucket to protect the callus or any roots that may have formed.

Planting is carried out by placing a line in position and cutting along it with a spade about nine inches deep. In doing so a wall will be made so that when a hole is made for the first stem there will be firm soil on one side of the stem. When the stem is put in you must make sure that the soil at the bottom of the hole is firm, otherwise the soil will sink away from the base of the stem and no roots will be formed. Having put the stem in, put a little soil in the hole and tread it lightly; it is quite unnecessary to do more than is sufficient to keep the stem upright, since a certain amount of air is very necessary for the rooting process. Having filled the hole in, you should then have another ready because of the filling up of the first hole. The stems should be about nine inches to a foot apart. If you can spare the space the latter distance is better when it comes to lifting them in the autumn.

If the position where the stems are planted out is subject to strong winds, it is advisable to protect them from being rocked about. For this some long bean rods tied to a few stakes, at intervals of about six feet or so, are as good as anything, for if the stems are tied to the rods somewhere near their tops they will be kept quite steady.

Whether rooted stems should be budded the same year depends largely on whether sufficiently strong growths have been made. Quite a proportion will do so, but if the growths by August are not as thick as a pencil it would be wise to defer the budding until the next season. Personally, I rarely bud any of them the year of rooting as I prefer to lift them all at the same time and plant them out in their budding positions where they are to remain without further transplanting. One objection to budding the same year is that the roots are too deep in the soil. One is also denied the opportunity of removing the roots that have formed on the stem, merely retaining the roots at the base.

If you are impatient to see quick results, you can bud the strongest the first year and transplant with the dormant buds in the stocks, and if this is done with great care, quite satisfactory results can be achieved.

In lifting the stocks, or any that may have been budded, the best way is to dig a large and deep hole on either side of the end stock so that the whole of the root system can be taken up intact. No attempt should be made to pull the stocks from the soil until all the soil has been quite loosened, for it is easy for the whole of the roots to part company from the stem, and then a whole season's work is sacrificed. It may be that there are more growths on the stem than is necessary. If that is so and the stem is taller than desired, cut the top back, leaving three growths; do this with a saw and pare off cleanly afterwards, quite close to the top growth. This is best done before the plant is budded, for afterwards, if you get a shot bud, that is one that starts into growth about three weeks or so after budding, any heading back of the stock would be difficult without damaging the growth. When planting out, each stock should be carefully staked and tied, allowing the stake to be just below the bottom lateral growth.

Rugosa stocks

By far the greater number of standard roses offered for sale by the nursery trade are budded on this stock, and in spite of the assertion that roses on this stock do not last as long as those budded on the briar, I believe that if it is given the correct treatment it can be very satisfactory. However, it is true to say that it is quite unsuited for planting on chalky soils or any soils with a/>H above neutral. It also is not so happy on heavy clay soils, although these soils can be made more to its liking by the addition of lightening material. On acid soils it is quite at home, and having a very fibrous root system, a medium soil is ideal.

I believe that one of the causes of disappointment with roses on this stock is in the choice of varieties, and I am sure that if only varieties of a good hardy constitution were used one would not hear so many complaints of the rose failing to make satisfactory growth.
The rugosa has an advantage over other stocks for people like myself, who like to be more or less independent in their rose growing, as they are so easy to propagate.

Commercially, the rugosa stems for standards are grown from short cuttings. A piece of growth about nine inches long and about the thickness of a pencil is prepared in the way in which a dwarf stock is made, as I have previously described, but instead of being budded they are allowed to grow and the strongest shoot run up and tied to a cane. Anyone who is familiar with rugosa standards will notice the kink in the stem about six inches above the root, where this has taken place. Another and better way is to grow a plant or two and allow them to grow into a large bush, or better still grow into a hedge, which I consider is worth the room it occupies for its scent alone. It will be possible, in a year or so, to cut out in the autumn long growths of anything up to six feet in height, which only require to have the lower eyes removed before the growths are planted. Provided the soil is not too heavy, nearly every one should root.

These, like the briar, can be budded the same year, although it is preferable to lift in the autumn, plant out and then bud. There is a very good reason for curbing one's impatience to get a rose flowering on the stocks. When these stems have been rooted and are being transplanted, it will be found that there will be a set of roots at the base of the stock and two or three more sets on the stems. It is essential that these stem roots should be removed, retaining only the roots at the base. These stem roots are the result of the natural habit of the plant, the desire of the roots to be near the surface of the soil, for in its natural state the rugosa is a semi-woodland plant. It increases by means of suckers which grow just an inch or so below the surface. There is, thus, no need for the plant to form strong anchoring roots like a plant growing out in the open, which has to do so in order that it shall be able to withstand strong winds. As the habit of the rugosa is to have its roots near the surface, the removal of the stem roots will enable the basal roots to be kept near the surface when it is transplanted. As an experiment, some few years ago, I planted out about two hundred of these stocks. All the stem roots were removed and they were planted as shallowly as possible, in no instance more than two inches deep. I was a little dubious about the effect of a dry summer on the growth of the stocks, and whether it would be possible to bud them. The summer following the planting was exceptionally hot and dry, but all the stocks grew well and were successfully budded, and since then have grown into sturdy plants and given fine blooms. Since then I have always followed this practice, which I believe to be the correct one, and more in keeping with the habit of the wild plant.

So often I have noticed rose trees, which have been received from the nursery, planted so that the ugly kink is buried out of sight which meant that the lower roots would be about seven or eight inches deep, under which conditions failure is almost certain. A certain amount of the blame must be attributed to the nurserymen who do not take the trouble to prepare the roots before planting. When the purchaser receives them, instead of there being one set of roots, which makes planting simplicity itself, the root system is composed of a hopeless jumble.

I hope that my remarks on the shortcomings of the rose-growing business are not taken to mean that I do not know the present difficulties that are due to the shortage of skilled labour, but merely that after many years of experience in growing this stock for roses, I have come to the conclusion that it can be a very good stock, but one that should receive rather special treatment.

Seedling briars

This chapter on stocks would not be complete without a reference to the most important stock of all, the seedling briar. Probably ninety-five per cent of all dwarf roses sold each year are budded on this stock. It is the only stock on which roses are budded which will give a good account of itself on practically all soils. Moreover, where the seedling has such an advantage over stocks propagated from cuttings is that the bud is inserted in the root of the seedling and the root of the plant lasts as long as the plant itself, whereas the wood used as a cutting, and rooted as a stock will only have the life it would have had had it been allowed to remain on the plant. Roses budded on seedlings are also much hardier than those budded on cutting stocks, but as a rule they do not produce such large maiden plants the year after budding.

The one criticism that can be made against seedling briars is their lack of uniformity. That was very true some few years ago, but nowadays much more care is exercised in the collection of seed, and in many cases it is specially grown for the purpose. The raising of these seedling briars is not a very difficult business, but at first patience is necessary, since, after the heps are gathered from the hedgerows in the autumn, eighteen months must elapse before they will germinate. This entails laying the heps in sand or sifted peat to stratify for the whole of the winter and summer. They can be rubbed out, cleaned and then sown in either the autumn or the following February. The latter is the best time, because sowing in the autumn may mean that the seed bed will have a coating of weeds that have grown during the winter. The seed should be sown in drills quite thickly, since germination is very low, probably not more than ten per cent the first year, but almost as many the next. All that is required after the seedlings are through, which should be about the third week in March, is to keep them free from weeds and dust with sulphur at the first sign of mildew, a disease to which they are rather prone. In November they should be lifted and the largest planted out in rows for budding. The rest may be left to thicken up for another year, although this is hardly worth while and it is better to rely on a new sowing.

Before planting out these stocks the long roots should be shortened back to about six inches and the tops treated in a similar way. The collar where the bud is to be inserted should be at soil level after planting, for if planted too deeply, difficulty will be experienced in budding.

Although I have not mentioned all the stocks which can be used for roses, no good purpose would be served by lengthening the list. Very many go under various names, being special selections of certain types of Rosa canina. Many of them are almost without spines, which is a great advantage for the budder, but apart from that they have little else to recommend them.

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