Propagation: Propagating/Grafting Roses, 1 by Stake

Stake wrote:
G'Day
When you graft a scion onto a rootstock that scion remains the same except that the correctly chosen rootstock can provide vigour or stunting, if desired, improved quality of the fruit and alter the flowering time or ripening of the fruit but if a "Peace" rose is grafted onto a red flowered rootstock it will not become a red "Peace" and scion material taken from that "Peace" will always be "Peace". I have had people argue on this point but if they have something different it is because a sucker sprouted from the roostock not because the scion has changed. A great deal of enjoyment can be gained by using existing plants in your garden and do as suggested put different coloured roses on the one bush or different fruit trees on the one stock but remember the stock and scion have to be fairly closely related botanically. You can put Peaches, Nectarines and when you gain confidence Apricots on the same plant or Plums (both European and Japanese and American) and Apricot on the same stock but you cannot put Apples or Oranges on the stone fruit or vice versa. The budding or grafting is done either when the plant is starting to grow in early spring for most grafting, and budding when the plant is in full growth. Scion material can be saved from winter prunings by wrapping in barely damp newspaper (any paper) placing in a plastic bag and put in the vegetable crisper in the refrigerator if you are in a very cold area the scion material can be treated as above and buried in the ground deap enough that it won't freeze.
That scion material can be used for early season grafting or kept until the plant is in full growth and used for budding when the new seasons growth is starting to mature green scion material can be taken and used straight away.
To test if your rootstock is ready for budding see if you can lift a piece of the living bark away from the stem with a finger nail, it should lift easily and underneath should be quite juicy or slimy in appearance if it does not lift or comes up but has a furry look it is not ready. This test is not needed with the earlier grafting.
The photo is of an Apricot of a different variety budded onto a limb of an existing tree after a seasons growth, the dead stub is normal and can be cut off at pruning time.
There are quite a number of different methods of budding and grafting I prefer whip and tongue graft and T bud for small limbs and chip bud for limbs more than 1" in diameter but you will find people who prefer a different method. Listen to all, try all methods and use the one that suits you.
Regards