"Annabel" wrote in message
...
I need to bud or graft a rose now, am I better off grafting or
budding.

not much chance of success either way now I'm afraid.

For budding you must have strong new shoots of the current season's
wood just at the point when the flower is opening
or no later than when it's just going over - you also need your
rootstock growing vigorously and full of sap so you can
open the bark.
Grafting is not usually done with roses anyway but you would need
dormant scion wood and stock just starting so you are
too late for that. The only grafting I've done with roses was with the
climber 'Mermaid' which doesn't take buds too
well and with miniatures - in each of those cases it is a rather
specialised 'green scion' technique. Trying to remember
back about 35 years. We did this in late winter, the stocks were
started into growth in a bottom heated frame and in the
meantime potted stock plants were started into growth in strong light
and about 20C. When roots were sprouting on the
stocks and soft green shoots were available on the stock plants - just
firm enough to handle we were ready to start
grafting. The bare rooted stocks were headed back and the graft was a
simple one into a cleft in the bark at the top of
the stock - tied in with a latex strip. The grafts were planted up in
deep bottomheated frames until callusing was
visible then they were weaned and potted. The young plants were then
lined out in the field in May/June and would be
ready for sale in the Autumn.

Rod


Thanks Rod, its just that I have been presented with two flowers (3 buds
total) and asked if I can grow them, they want *this* rose not this
cultivar. I have told them its unlikely especially as the buds in
question are probably not suitable.

Annabel