How to graft roses

Grafting roses is a fairly simple task

Among the most cultivated flowers in the world is the rose, of course. And not only that, but it is also one of the favorites. Therefore it is not surprising that there are many people interested in growing this plant and enjoying its beauty and incredible fragrance. Curiously, Most of the rose bushes we see are usually grafted. A priori it may be somewhat shocking, but it really brings important benefits for these plants. But how to graft roses?

It may now be quite interesting for you to discover why grafting is such a widely used and beneficial technique for these beautiful flowers. Well, I recommend that you keep reading, because we will respond to it and explain how to graft roses step by step.

What is grafting roses?

Grafting roses is very beneficial for the plant

Before explaining how to graft roses, let's explain what this practice is. It is a fairly simple technique that is often used in both professional and domestic gardening. The objective is to unite two plants in order to obtain certain benefits. To achieve this, it is important to know what it takes to perform a graft and how to do it correctly.

What is the best time to graft rose bushes?

Even though grafting roses is a very common practice, we must bear in mind that it also inflicts damage to the plant. Therefore it is very important not to do it when we feel like it, if not at a time of year when the rose bush can cope better and the cuttings take root properly. So it is not only essential to know how to graft roses, but also when is the best time to do it.

In general, the best seasons of the year to make a graft are usually summer and spring. It is important to know that one of the main keys for a graft to take root well is that the sap belonging to the plant must be in circulation. In the event that we delay this task until the fall, we will have to be much more careful about frost.

In addition to the time of year, there is also another aspect that we must take into account to know when is the best time to graft rose bushes. The best is wait until a week has passed since the flower withered. This is essential, since the buds that we will use to graft we will take from the flower stalks.

How to graft roses step by step

You have to water the days before grafting roses

To learn how to graft roses, we must first fully understand what this technique entails. Generally, grafting is a very common technique when it comes to the propagation of woody plants. Basically it is about joining two different plants so that they end up growing as if they were a single vegetable. But what is this for? What benefits does it bring to plants? Well, through this unique fusion of different plant species we achieve that both are more resistant to various weather factors, pests and drought.

Specifically in the rose bush, it is not only a very popular technique due to the advantages that we have just mentioned, but also it also improves both the quality and the quality of the flowers. In this way, the roses are fluffier, more durable and more fragrant. These are just some of the reasons why this technique has been used for many years.

Now we are ready to learn how to graft roses step by step. Despite being a fairly simple task, you have to know it thoroughly to be able to do it successfully.

1. Water before grafting

Although it seems fundamental, it is worth remembering it. It is important that we keep the plant well hydrated for a few days prior to grafting. This little detail will work in our favor. Thus, the rose bush will be well nourished and in perfect condition to be able to go through this technique. Of course, the same day that we are going to make the graft of the rose bush, it is best to suspend the irrigation.

2. Tools: Selection and disinfection

Both selection and disinfection of tools is of utmost importance to make a graft and to properly prune vegetables. Before starting any of these two practices, we have to check that the pruning knife and scissors are properly sterilized and free of rust. In addition, we must confirm that they are well sharp so that they can cut perfectly, since it is about that the cut is as clean as possible. In this way we will minimize the damage done to the plant.

Blooming roses
Related article:
When to prune rose bushes

3. Preparation of the standard for attachment to the yolk

What do we mean by the pattern? It is the plant that will end up supporting the graft. To select the right vegetable to play this role, it is best to opt for the plant that is better rooted and that is more resistant than the other.

When grafting a rose, the most common formula is the so-called "gusset graft." It is based on making an incision in the central trunk of the rose bush. This incision must be in the shape of a T and also an inverted T. But be careful, we must not go too deep into the stem so as not to damage it too much, cutting the bark is enough. If we go overboard, it can also happen that the yolk is not grafted correctly.

Once we have the T ready, we have to place the yolk. To do this, we must remove a part of the outer wood with a bevel and place it over the incision in the central stem of the plant that we have chosen as a pattern. The objective is that it is a little hugged by the bark of the stem. Then we have to cover the graft area, pressing a little to help the union. In order to facilitate this task, we can use raffia, a piece of gardening blanket or even cling film.

Finally, it only remains to wait for nature to act on its own. If our technique has been successful, we will be lucky enough to see how the stem that we have attached begins to sprout, and thus a different and unique rose bush will be born.


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