To: "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] off topic: roses
Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2007 23:35:51 -0500
Lots of roses from the west coast are grafted on 'Dr. Huey' rootstock. It
is a dark red semidouble blossom, makes a climber and blooms once a year.
It's very common around old houses, as the grafts often die. It doesn't do
much in our acidic clay, but I'm told it makes huge bushes in the midwest.
It likes sandy alkaline soil. I've been hopeless at grafting roses, so I
can't advise you on whether you can put something else on it. Own root
roses are best for many reasons. I remember meeting a little old lady who
said she immediately roots a branch of any rose she buys because the new
rooted plant will do much better than the grafted one. Donna