If you know how to graft roses, you can achieve two different flower colors on the same shrub. Roses are among the easiest plants to graft, and most bushes are the result of grafting a certain color or type of rose onto a stronger and healthier one. By grafting, you can also achieve the flower color of a diseased plant by using a healthy one as a rootstock. The stem of the rose that you want to graft onto a different color is called a rice.
The first thing to consider when you decide to graft a rose or experiment with them at home is the time of year. It is recommended to do this mainly in summer, when the sap flows vigorously through the plant. You can also do it if you notice that they grow quickly and appear fresh and radiant. Well, pay close attention to this, and we’ll start grafting step by step.
Step 1 Clean the knife you want to use to cut the rice with rubbing alcohol. This helps prevent the spread of diseases during transplantation.
Step 2 Cut off some stems from the rose bush you want to combine with others. This is called collecting cuttings. Cut off a section of the stem that contains three buds. Cut the piece from the top of the bottom bud and measure two buds, where you should make another cut over the third.
Step 3 Use a utility knife to cut a “V” shape at the bottom of the twig.
Step 4 Select one of the woody stems of the rose plant that you want to use as a base. This should be a biennial plant variety. New shoots don’t work. Cut off the top of the stem and make a one-centimeter-deep cut in the center of the stem.
Step 5 Insert the brushwood into the cut you made on the trunk of the rootstock. Wrap the plug tightly with tape. Grafting should take between four and six weeks to set. Repeat these steps to add more plugs to the rootstock. The new rose colors will only grow on the grafted stems.
After the graft
Water the grafted plants abundantly and frequently to keep the soil constantly moist for the first 15 days. It is recommended to cut the first shoots from the stem until the plant has stabilized, about the first 2 or 4 shoots, to encourage the consolidation of the graft. Remove the tape on its own when the plug begins to grow. Care should be taken to provide them with a substrate of smoke and compost. Roses generally need space, air, and sunlight to thrive. Now that you’re informed, there’s no excuse not to graft and get beautifully colored roses.
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