I've got one growing now. It was a climbing blaze that I rescued from the garden center (they were about to throw it out since it was a pitiful-looking previous-year leftover. It died promptly after I brought it home, but the rootstock is growing gangbusters. I was going to dig it out this year and plant something else, but I noticed it's got buds. I figured I'd let it bloom this year and see what it does. I'm kind of new to growing roses and have no idea how to tell what kind of rose this is. Any guesses? The bud looks kind of magenta right now, but it's a long way from opening. Sorry the pics aren't good - it was windy and therefore hard to focus on a moving rose.

You're welcome, Lyna! Yes ma'am, each one HAS its own personality. It's observing them then determining what other "personalities" you want to mate them to that's part of the fun of breeding. If your cuttings are rotting, they're too wet. Whether that's due to too heavy soil, watering them too frequently or having too high humidity due to covering them, something is keeping them too wet, so they rot. If they shrivel, they're usually drying out. I'd not had success rooting roses in my new climate until I ran across the wrapping method, which I termed "Burrito Method" and detailed on my blog below. Like all the other methods, it requires tweaking to get it set just right for your specific conditions, but once you get the hang of it, the method works! A few months ago, I received bud wood of a rose I'd sought, from a lovely lady in Northern California. The wood was quite thin and I didn't know what exactly I could do with it. I had stocks rooted, so I tried budding it, then took what wasn't really suitable and tried a modified method of rooting. It was actively growing, and it was warm, so the wrapping method wouldn't work. I treated them as I would any cuttings, then planted them very deeply in seed starter mix, in gallon cans and placed them under other potted roses where they would have higher humidity, some filtered sun, but protection from the real heat and extreme sun. Most failed, but a few ARE rooted! Many of the buds also failed, but some are remaining green after a few months and appear to be successful. I figured by planting them deep, so most of the cutting length was immersed in cool, damp soil, they wouldn't dry out. It's what I do with callused cuttings out of the wraps, and it works perfectly with them. With only an inch or so of cutting poking out of the soil, and only a leaf or two remaining on them, they could provide some photosynthesis to help carry them along until roots formed. Once it begins raining, I will transplant them from their communal pots, lifting them to the level I want them to grow. Until then, I'll let them continue forming roots. The rains will help to harden them off so they won't be lost to being subjected to too high heat, too brilliant sun and too dry conditions too quickly. I'm also getting ready to break the tops of the root stocks so the foliage will remain attached to help keep them fed, but much of the sap flow will be interrupted so it is directed into the inserted buds, forcing them to begin growing. I use both the traditional "T" budding method and Burling's Chip Budding Method on several different root stocks so I hedge my bet with whatever I have and want to insure takes. Using several methods helps spread the risk of loss so chances of success improve dramatically. I use VI IXL, Cardinal Hume and Sequoia's Pink Clouds. I should also obtain some VI Dr. Huey and VI Ragged Robbin. I had the Ragged Robin VI from the Heritage Rose Garden, but lost it. I also have Dr. Manner's VI Fortuniana. It's finally put out enough thicker growth to provide some decent stocks next spring, so I'll probably start messing with budding to it then. If I have material I want to reproduce in the appropriate window here for rooting; I know it roots OK and grows OK own root; and it is of the appropriate condition for wrapping, I will wrap it. If it's summer, hence hotter (too hot for wrapping) and the material is actively growing, I'll try budding it. Whatever remains which isn't suitable for budding, I'll strike as cuttings to see if something works. But, if you wait until you have what you've been looking for, forever, to learn how to make the methods you want to use, work, you're guaranteed to fail. Murphy assures that. It's like waiting until the day before you take your world cruise to buy your new, elaborate camera you have absolutely no idea how to use. You're doomed. Rooting and budding are about equally as easy to learn. The hardest part is determining you are NOT going to allow it to overwhelm you. If it doesn't work, don't get frustrated. Put on your diagnostician's hat, figure out WHY it didn't so you can fix the problems, then get back on that horse to show it who's boss. Kim Here is a link that might be useful: Wrapping cuttings

Okay, I'm back. I have been away from the computer, having to help my wife prepare two weddings in a row after I got back from the budwood distribution. Jim, I have extra budwoods that were part of my share in the consolidated order, but I have those varieties already. The reason why I ordered them is because I don't have big branches to get budwood from my own trees of those varieties and the other guys needed them. I will email you the list pretty soon. The price from UCR is $0.75 per bud, and after shipping to us, it comes down to about $2.57 per variety not per bud and each variety will have 3 to 4 buds (the share each one of us got per variety, sometimes a little bit more) that you can use, potentially at least 3 plants of the same variety if you are 100% successful in your budding. The guaranteed next day delivery to your area is $13.75 from here. Citrus buds usually survive the one day shipping, as they are quite hardy. Last year, I get the budwoods survive the 4 day ground shipping from UCR and they all made it in my collection. This year, their shipment to me is only 1 day. I'll follow up on my email. I will have to check my cooler again. Benny, many thanks for the compliments and the budwood from your trees that you gave me.

I finally got around to figuring out the photo thing, thanks Wantoretire! I'm attaching a link to my first batch of pinch and poke (recovering mother plant lower right). That was over a year ago now. I kept those plants inside and planted them outside this past spring and had gorgeous beds. I wish I had taken photos of their peak. Next spring I don't believe I will have to buy very many new plants, because I brought several pots inside from which I plan on taking many many cuttings from, I'm shooting for 2 dozen 5 inch pots!! Right now they are gracing my sunny dining room, and doing great. If I keep this up I'm going to need a sun room! I'm also trying Petunias, and Geraniums, and might even try starting from seed. That's my next adventure. Cheers Here is a link that might be useful: