Re: A Rose Question

Anne Williams wrote:
> 
> Dear Fellow Gardeners,
> 
> Though not strictly a Mediterranean plant question, I know a great many
> of you are expert rosarians, loads of talent and experience in our
> group, and I have a small rose problem, seek your help.
> 
> Earlier this summer a volunteer from Descanso Gardens' International
> Rosarium came to my garden to take cuttings of Climbing Dainty Bess and
> Climbing Old Blush, neither of which grows in the Rosarium at present
> and both would be suitable additions plus it was hoped to get enough
> viable cuttings to propagate plants for sale next year at our Spring
> Plant Sale.  Most of the Dainty Bess cuttings took and are doing well,
> the Old Blush were less successful, only a few survived, but we're going
> to try to take more during September and see if the fall cuttings are
> stronger.
> 
> The question is this:  Knowing that both these plants are sports of
> shrub roses, can we be guaranteed that the plants we grow from these
> cuttings will be the climbing form, and not revert to shrub?

I don't think anybody could _guarantee_ that they would not revert, but
such cuttings are commonly successful. If they are lined out in a
nursery bed, from my own experience I think it should be possible to see
pretty quickly whether the climbing habit has been retained - certainly
by the end of the first year's growth most cuttings of climbers will
have produced at least one long shoot and then should continue to grow
this way..

Moira
-- 
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Wainuiomata, New Zealand, SW Pacific. 12 hours ahead of Greenwich Time
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