I’ve grown some eglatine seedlings, and I would really love to graft them. Eglatine seems to do very well in my garden… very easy to identify if it comes out of the graft…
I have one particular seedling that is so small, I’m not sure if it is a mini. Just 5 inches for the past year and few months. It is a cross of Sutter’s Gold and Renae. Fragrance is to DIE for, although the form isn’t that great. It is sloppy when it is done, but it is shaped like an old garden rose in the beginning. I am envisioning strongly fragrant and thornless roses coming out of this rose.
I am pretty sure that I want to breed with this little fellow ASAP since the foilage is pretty resistant, and the stems relatively thorn free.
My problem is that I really want to start propogating it this year so that I can send this to other people. Should I attempt to propogate it this year, or wait until a little bit longer.
Hi Enrique:
I have sometimes been very excited about a new seedling and tried to bud graft it after the first bloom. Almost always, the grafts have taken well and pushed the new seedling graft to an earlier maturity, which provides you with lots more material for taking cuttings. However, you do run the risk of destroying the original seedling (it usually hasn’t happened with me although the original is certainly set back a bit on growth).
Sounds like you have a very nice seedling. Very fragrant roses do not have to be beautiful to the eye - the nose when pleased, views the fragrant rose as very truly beautiful!
Jim
I’ve never learned how to bud graft, but I’m pretty good at cleft grafting–although I don
Joan, that is very interesting that you have done the grafting with such small material onto larger rootstock. I was thinking that I had to wait until the seedling canes were thicker to try this…but I see that you have already thrown the “rule” to the wind! 
) Also interesting that you don’t wait for dormancy…another point I was wondering about myself as it seems frustrating to have to wait through all this nice summer “growing weather” to give it a try. What material do you use around the grafted area? I have been considering trying floral tape for both my budding and grafting attempts.
Michelle, I use parafilm to wrap the grafts. I like it in that as the cane expands and/or a bud breaks, they can grow right through it. Once the cane has expanded enough to split the parafilm I remove it.
Hi Enrique,
It sounds like you have a nice seedling and that one of your objectives is to use it further in breeding. I suspect it probably will be a triploid. I confirmed that Renae is a diploid rose. As you know, triploids can be fertile, but in general may be more difficult to raise seedlings from than roses with an even number of sets of chromosomes. Persistance can pay off though. Good luck!
Sincerely,
David
I had suspected that Renae was a diploid or a triploid too… When I tried to cross it with Buff Beauty, it didn’t take. I did cross Renae with Cecil Brunner, but all the hips got ruined when I accidentally severed the main branch. Next year I will attempt to cross Renae with Banksia hybrid, Purezza. Purezza bloomed very early and finished quickly too. I will also use Renae more frequently with my diploid R. foliolosa, and if I’m able to get Sweet Chariot, that too…
My seedling’s fragrance is just incredible. And the colors are too since they can vary. It could be a ligh pink, or buff apricot flesh, or deep MIP pink. But the fragrance is heavenly thick and fruity, much like Sutter’s Gold, but less citrusy. My only problem is that my seedling just won’t grow. Over a year has passed and the bush it is the size of my palm. I am starting to think that this is a true mini, but the flowers are extraordinarily big for the bush-- the size of half dollars. Foilage is very healthy with some mildew problems on older leaves, but it hasn’t killed my plant yet. If I can find a person to graft locally, I be more then happy to share this rose with them.
David, will you publish your results in the future? I am very intrested to see all the work you have done.
Enrique