Growing bicolor roses by grafting: A step-by-step guide

If you know how to graft roses, you can get flowers of two different colors on the same plant. Roses are one of the easiest plants to graft, and most shrubs are the result of grafting a particular color or variety of rose onto a stronger, healthier plant. Grafting can also preserve the flower color of a diseased plant by using a healthy plant as a rootstock. The branch of the rose that you want to graft to a different color is called a scion.

The best time of the year for grafting .

If you decide to graft a rose or experiment with it at home, you should first consider the season. It is recommended to do it mainly in summer, when the sap flows vigorously through the plant. You can also do it when you notice that they grow quickly and look fresh and radiant. So, pay attention, and we will begin the grafting process step by step.

Step 1 Clean the knife you will use to cut the grafts with alcohol. This will help prevent the spread of disease during the transplantation.

Step 2 Cut some shoots from the rose bush you want to combine with others. This is called cutting collection. Cut a section of the stem that contains three buds. Cut the tip off the lowest bud and measure two buds where you should make another cut above the third bud.

Step 3 Using a sharp knife, cut a “V” at the bottom of the cut.

Step 4 Choose one of the woody branches of the rose plant that you want to use as a base. It should be a biennial plant. New growth is not suitable. Cut off the tip of the branch and make a one-inch deep cut in the middle of the branch.

Step 5 Insert the scion into the cut you made in the rootstock’s trunk. Wrap the scion tightly with tape. It should take four to six weeks for the scion to harden off. Repeat these steps to place more scions onto the rootstock. The new rose colors will only grow on the grafted branches.

Post-transplant care .

Water the grafted plants abundantly and frequently, trying to keep the soil constantly moist for the first 15 days. It is recommended to prune the first shoots of the trunk until the plant has stabilized, about the first 2 to 4 shoots, to encourage the consolidation of the graft. Do not remove the tape until the graft begins to grow. It is important to ensure that they receive a substrate of peat and compost. Roses in general need space, air and sunlight to thrive. Now that you are informed, there is no excuse not to graft and get beautiful roses.

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