When is the best time to graft roses for a high survival rate? Explanation of common grafting methods
The rose is called the queen of flowers, also known as “monthly red.” It has strong adaptability and is cold-tolerant, and can be grown either in the ground or in pots. Grafting is one of its propagation methods. So, when is it easy to graft roses successfully? And what grafting methods are there?
When is it easy to graft roses successfully?
The grafting survival rate of roses is greatly affected by the grafting period. The best grafting period is from early September to mid-October, when the survival rate is highest. The temperature during grafting is best between 18—25°C, and grafting should be done on a sunny day with no rain.
Rose grafting methods
1. Chip budding method
Use flower shears to cut off the twig piece, leaving a 0.5 cm leaf stalk. Pinch the branch tightly with the thumb and index finger of the left hand, with the leaf stalk facing up, at a 45-degree angle to the ground. Use a budding knife to make a downward diagonal cut 0.5 cm above the bud, reaching the xylem, going from shallow to deep, and after passing the bud, from deep to shallow, with the cut 2.5 to 3 cm long. The bud can then be removed from the branch. Lightly pinch the leaf stalk with the left hand, with the xylem facing up, and with the right hand turn back a little of the bark from below the bud, causing the xylem to tilt upward. Lift it upward, and the xylem will be peeled off. Then quickly use the grafting knife on a smooth part of the rootstock about 1.4 m high, depending on the size of the scion bud, and make a horizontal cut. Generally the cut is about 0.5 cm long. On one side of the cut, make another downward vertical cut. Be careful to avoid damaging the xylem as much as possible. Insert the tip of the knife at the intersection of the two cuts, lift the bark upward, tear it downward for 2 cm, leave the lower 0.4 cm, cut away the upper 1.6 cm of bark, quickly place the grafted bud into the opened bark layer of the rootstock, press it tightly against the rootstock xylem, keep the bud eye, and wrap the joint tightly with a plastic strip 20 cm long and 0.7 cm wide.
2. Bud grafting with wood method
On the sunny side of the rootstock 4 to 6 cm above the ground, use a single-edge safety razor blade to cut a shield-shaped cut 1 to 2 cm long at a 30° to 40° angle. Then, using the same method and the same size, select a plump and full bud from the scion shoot and insert it into the already cut rootstock incision, and bind it firmly from bottom to top with a white plastic band of moderate elasticity and width, pressing the edges ring by ring, with appropriate tightness.
When inserting the grafted bud into the cut, the cambium layers should be aligned over as large an area as possible, so that the rootstock xylem is not exposed. This method is simple and quick to operate and has a relatively high survival rate, but it requires high technical skill, and one must master the technique of matching the rootstock and scion in one go.
3. T-shaped budding method
T-shaped budding is also currently a popular method in rose grafting production.
Use a short-bladed vertical knife to make a horizontal cut on the branchless sunny side of the rootstock 4 to 6 cm above the ground, about 5 to 8 mm wide, with a depth just reaching the xylem, then make a vertical cut downward from the middle of the horizontal cut, about 1.5 to 2 cm long, so that the bark forms a T-shaped opening.
Cut the scion shoot from the mother plant, remove the leaf blade but keep the leaf stalk, select a plump and full bud, use a sharp knife to make a horizontal cut about 0.5 cm above it, penetrating about 3 mm into the xylem, then use the knife to push and cut upward from about 0.5 cm below the bud just reaching the xylem up to the cut above the bud.
Use the knife to lift open the bark of the T-shaped cut on the rootstock, insert the grafted bud into the cut, and after insertion make fine adjustments so that the horizontal cut of the grafted bud aligns with the horizontal cut of the rootstock without exposing the rootstock cambium; placing it in position in one go is ideal. After the grafted bud is properly placed, bind it with a plastic band, and the grafted bud must be exposed when binding. Although this method seems cumbersome and time-consuming, once proficient, one can complete the grafting of one plant within one minute, and the grafting survival rate is extremely high.