How are roses propagated?
A. Roses are most commonly reproduced through two different techniques: 1. By inserting a single “bud-eye” of the desired variety into a slit in the stalk of a rootstock (generally a strain of R. multiflora, Dr. Huey, or R. canina). Once the bud wound has healed over, the topgrowth above it is cut away. This allows the single bud of a variety (now merged with a different root system) to become the Rose. These rootstocks are selected for extreme vigor and toughness – to quickly force into growth the variety being budded onto them. This is the preferred method of large scale commercial producers, and almost all roses available from big outlets are “Budded”. 2. By creating a new rose offspring on its “Own Roots” through cuttings made from the “mother” plant. With this method a shoot of the variety is induced to “strike” – that is, to produce callous tissue and new roots at its cut base. Both the roots and topgrowth of the resulting young plant are the same; NO different rootstock is invol
