Rootstock considerations

General Discussion
1

I’m in the deep south, nematode country, and Fortuniana is a pain in the neck to root. I am looking for an easy alternative for my little backyard operation. Ease of rooting/grafting and nematode resistance are my two priority traits. Is anything else important in a non commercial situation? Does it have to be a climber, as most commercial stocks are? Thanks.

The ones I am considering using,

Madame Isaac Pereire has great vigor, on it’s own roots it even outgrows Westerland!, roots easily, has no trouble with Florida soil apparently.

Climbing Clotilde Soupert was praised as a great Fortuniana replacement by a small Florida nursery, but I don’t have it yet.

Various chinas such as Old Blush, Spice, Mutabilis. Chinas do well here own root and root easily, but have slow early growth.

Westerland and Mermaid are new to me, they grow well, someone online said they are too brittle for rootstock.

Is this a try them all and see what works type situation. Thanks again.

2

The link is to the Heritage Rose Foundation website where you can read Griffith Buck’s paper on Rose Rootstocks from an ARS annual. It’s a good place to start.

There is another even more detailed rootstock paper from the Royal Horticultural Society which is a Masters Thesis from the turn of the century.

First find out all you can. Find out what works and what didn’t for others. (Mrs. Rion 1850 in Charleston told people to bud from June to August and to bud onto "Dog or Dutchman Rose or vigorous young shoots of Microphylla. Southern Ladies’ Florist p 42, reprint by University of South Carolina Press)

Then be meticulous to use ONLY virus free stock; no Dr. Huey from the back 40 or something that survived a sickly rose.

Link: www.heritagerosefoundation.org/4resources/articles/annuals/GriffithBuckRootstocks2.pdf

3

Thank you, that was an interesting read.