How is a rose grown? Maybe some interest to some

How is a rose grown?

The XXX Company supplies both one and two year old plants to the Australian rose market. Both our one and two year old roses begin their growing life as rootstock. Rootstock becomes the foundation for grafted rose buds that are usually of a less hardy variety. Rootstock improves the health of the rose as rootstocks tend to be extremely vigorous in growing nature. This means plants perform better as they become more disease resistant and the characteristics of the rose tend to be accentuated, for example, more blooms or perfume.

Roses should be grafted onto the rootstock that is best suited for localised growing conditions. We have found that Dr Huey rootstock produces superior growing results as it has a longer budding season, it is easier to propagate and it adapts well to different soil types. Below we have tabled the growing cycle for both one and two year old roses.

One Year Old Plants

May – Cultivation and preparation of rootstock into canes
June – Planting of bush and standard rootstock canes
November – Budding commences, which involves grafting the required rose variety required onto the rootstock
January – Roses are topped to just above the graft. This removes the rootstock leaving the rose variety to grow
June - Rose are lifted from the ground packed and sent to retailers

Two Year Old Plants

May – Cultivation and preparation of rootstock into canes
June – Planting of bush and standard rootstock canes
November – Budding commences, which involves grafting the required rose variety required onto the rootstock
September - Roses are topped to just above the graft. This removes the rootstock leaving the rose variety to grow
March - Rose are lifted from the ground packed and sent to retailers

Brett

Dr Huey does not like our acidic soil all that much. Very few roses grown on Dr Huey survive (or do all that well which means shovel pruning happens) at our place.

Unfortunately some good rose growers use only Dr Huey.

Ours are grown on Multiflora or own root.

In South Australia Dr Huey is the preferred root stock because it handles the alkaline conditions better than Multiflora that we prefer on the east coast because the soil is slightly acid. In the Sydney Basin roses on Dr Huey survive but you can notice the difference if the same cultivar is on Multiflora. 

David what is the preferred rootstock where you are? I would imagine being in Western NSW which is on the alkaline side it would be Dr Huey.