PROPAGATING ROSES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 January 1941, Page 9

PROPAGATING ROSES

SOME USEFUL HINTS. The propataing of roses is not a difficult operation, and there are quite a number of people who like to raise their own plants and to feel that they have plants of their very own creation. The usual method of propagating the bush varieties and standards is by budding and provided stocks are available this is an operation which any enthusiastic gardener can do. The advantage of budding is that every good resting but can be turned into a plant, which is very important when stocks of a new and scarce variety have to be raised. There is also the advantage that by the use of free-rooting, vigorous stocks the variety put on is increased in vigour and productiveness. The plant which the bud is put on to is called the slock and it may be cither the dog rose, hybrid manetta or rugosa, but the chief stocks used in New Zealand are hybrid manettas or the dog rose. The dog rose is considered to be the most suitable for plants which are to be grown on fairly heavy clay soils, and once established it continues vigorous for years. Itsi drawback is that it is fairly difficulty to root, and, as it does not form many j fibrous roots it takes about a year to recover after it has been trans-1 planted from the nursery to the rest | garden. There is a diiference between i the sweet briar (which is not a suit-1 able stock) and the dog rose. The briar[ has scented leaves when bruised, and its spines have a very decided hook i whereas the spines of the dog rose I stand straight out Seeding dog roses j are sometimes used and it is often I possible to dig up plants suitable* forj standards from the hedge rows To get suitable stocks. (•titlings! of rijxmed wood are put in in the aut- | umn. these being buried three-quarters i of their length in the soil and made! firm. They will root the following f spring, am! by autumn are ready t■■\ transplanted to tile nursery i\>wi- l where they are set out at a foot apart i in rows three feet apart. At tnis plant-, ing the roots are kept up to within I three inches of the surface About Fvb-j ruary. they arc read) to make nev ' growth and the usual term is that the | sap is rising. What really heppens i-j the cambium layer which ; just be- , tween the bark ami the vcotai is active: and 'he two are separated easily Im j buds of the varietv which it is desiredj to iiropagatv are found on the young | shooLs whicli have just flowered Tht . shout is cut oil. the leaves are removed > leaving a little bit of tin* stalk .dmii’ . an inch, m length ami wrapped m ••; damp clmh • r kepi m ■< san •>( •■> a'.c; j to keep it from shriYvlluig Ihe buck ‘ at Uu- b .NC ' th.- : are rather t i dormant ami those near the toj» :< j ready l<> «h<mt. -.u ihoiv which are web: dm-...1,,i><-d near the middle are sniveled ’ To got lit.- L ..1 as d. u.'i 'Io-: <to,.| ; t! , c 1 „ ;mb aW.c. a bi' ..mi' made about two meh- m| length up the .' ’cm and amdher tin- top to form a T The corners of I du* liark wiicrc du* iwo vui'. mtcrscc'i ot'.e .modi*-!’ ale Idled Up With IIU jHim’. of the k: To and th<- ii.md!.- is inserted amt piohed down both sides of the baiK cut t‘> -oparau- the bark from] wo <d Tim mid ■' iifej.-ii<’d by rut■( tmg into Hie stem aboi:t half an mein below the b:d and eutliiig upward I am! inwards to about h;d! an inch; almvc It Illis Will rem v p:.-s.e .■!! bark a httlo bd ■ ( wood and the bud To bring as large a mrfm-e of d:< cam-j layi'r of the Imd mtn contact withj tile cambium layer of ‘fie stoclt lht*j v,'<- d sjmvjd l.e tern -v«-d ;*:-<! ’m. ( j. m- by m-mtmg *-h- j- t,t ■ f tlw ' ■ dr between the hard, ami -i . ,i sh.ii p icrh Acpar.ilmg I-.'... Care i:.o b(> t.dtcn ' nre ’ha’ tire'

core of the bud is not also pulled out. and for beginners it is really better to leave the wood in. Holding the bud by the little bit of leafstalk it is pushed down between the bark and the wood until it is all in. Should a little piece of bark project above the top of the T cut it is cut oil and the stem bound round with a bit of raffia or soft (wino. What happens is (he cambium layer of the bud comes into contact with the cambium layer of the stock, and both being active new tissue is formed which is common to both, and the bud can now obtain its supply of sap from the stock. If it is examined in about a fortnight's time and the little bit of leafstalk drops off readily, the union is all right, and in a little while the binding can bo cut away. If the union has not taken place another bud can bo put on. In the autumn the head of the stock can be cut over about aninch, above the bud which will be the only one left on it. and in the spring it will receive all the sap taken up by the roots, and grow out into a strong plant. There is always a danger of the new shoot breaking out at the union, and in a windy position it should bo staked.

The ramblers, climbers and stronggrowing varieties can be grown from cuttings of ripened young wood put in in the autumn. A piece of the young ripened wood about a foot in length is cut across with a sharp knife just below a node or joint, a trench is taken out nine inches deep and a layer of sand or lime rubble put into it. The cutting is then placed in the trench with its base resting on the sand, the soil is replaced and tamped firmly. The important points are to have young wood to bury the cuttings three-fourths of their length and to make the soil firm round them. When put in in the autumn they start into growth in the spring and by the following autumn are well grown plants ready to be placed in their permanent [positions