BUDDING ROSES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 February 1940, Page 15

BUDDING ROSES

SOME USEFUL HINTS. While it is possible to grow thi iamblers, climbers and polyanthu roses from cuttings, satisfactorily, thi ordinary bushes are usually budded or to some strong-growing or free-root ing stocks. These may be seedlin; briars, rugosa, hybrid marietta or doj rose, and they should have been raise: from cuttings or seed and lined ou in nursery rows ready for the opera tion. Stocks raised from cuttings arc the most commonly used, and these should have been put in the autumr before last. After they have rootec they are lifted and lined out in nursery rows at about a foot to 18 inches apart. When put in as cuttings they are buried three part of their length in the ground, but when lined out the roots are not more than three inches under the surface. The reason for shallow planting is to enable the bud to be placed as near as possible to the root, so that when planting out the union of the stock and the scion can be buried two inches under the surface soil, without burying the roots of the stock too deeply. The buds to be put on are found on this season's growth just under where the flowers have been produced, and it will be noted that those which are prominent without showing signs of growing out, are the most suitable. Those near the top of the shoot are usually too far advanced, and those near the base too dormant. When collecting the budwood, this is labelled, the leaves are cut off, leaving about half an inch of the stalk, and to keep it fresh it is either placed in a watering can or wrapped in some damp cloth or moss. To enable the operation to be carried out as easily and painlessly as possible, the stocks are laid over on their sides with a rod, and to get the bud on low down the soil is sometimes drawn away from the stem. The stock, which is the name of the plant the bud is put on to, is prepared by first removing the prickles if this has not already been done, then with a sharp clean, thin-bladed knife mak a cut lengthwise up the stem, about two inches long, and another across near the top, forming a Tshape, taking care to go right through to the wood. With the thin handle of the budding knife or a piece of bone or hard wood prise the bark up on both side of the long cut, and if the stock is in the right condition for the operation this should lift quite easily. The fact that the bark separates readily from the wood is due to the cambium layer, which is between the two being active, the usual term used being that the sap is rising, but really it is the sap descending, and this is the layer in which new tissue is being formed. The bud is now prepared by cutting in about half an inch below the bud, and cutting inwards and upwards until about an inch above it. This will separate a piece of bark and a thin layer of wood with a bud attached. It is usual for nurserymen to remove this piece of wood by inserting the point of the knife between it and the bark, and with a jerk pulling it off. This leaves a layer of cambium of the bud exposed, and the bud and bark is now pushed down into the cut on the stock, unti lit fits in under the bark. It is then securely fastened by winding a piece of moist raffit tightly round it, beginning a little above the cross-cut and finishing off an inch below the bud which, with its little piece of leaf stalk, should be peeping out. It should be mentioned that the piece of leafstalk is used as a handle when pushing the bud into its place and if it falls off readily when touched a few weeks after the operation you know that the bud has taken. What should happen is that the layer of cambium of the stock coming into close contact with the layer of cambium of the scion, and the two being active they will continue to form new tissue, this being common to both, and when the union is complete the bud will receive its supply of water and plant food collected by the roots of the stock. Later on the head of the stock will be cut over and all subsequent growth will be from the bud put on. which will be the rose we desire to propagate. Though it is desirable to remove the piece of wood from the bud to bring a greater surface of cambium into contact, it is not really necessary and as there is a danger of the bud being pulled out along with the wood, a beginner can bud well with the wood left in. Needless to state, as you are dealing with living tissue which is liable to dry up the quicker the operation can be carried out the better.