Production of field-budded roses at Bakker’s nursery a family-owned nursery “Bakker's grows a broad range of woody ornamental nursery stock, and, in addition, specializes in top-grafted standards, such as Caragana, Weeping Pussy Willow, Cotoneaster, Euonymus, Lilac, Mulberry, Prunus Cistena and Prunus Triloba, Hibiscus, Viburnum, Weigela, and Ginkgo.” St. Catharines Ontario Photography by Henry DeVries except where noted New cultivar Celine Dion

In their own words: “It starts with the roots. Our roses are grown on our own selection of multiflora seedlings from our own seed source. (Many roses sold today are grown on imported rootstock which comes from countries where cold climate is of little concern.) This selection has been time proven to be hardy throughout much of Canada¹s diverse climates and gives excellent vigor year after year. Unlike cutting-type rootstocks (onto which most imports are grafted), seedlings don¹t propagate unwanted viruses which reduce hardiness and performance. “

Dave Bakker inspecting seed production on Rosa multiflora stockplants. Seed will be used for production of seedling rootstock

Field of multiflora rose seedlings for subsequent use as rootstocks

Two to three year old multiflora rootstock seedings ready to be budded with flowering cultivars

Well branced root systems of multiflora rose

Scion donor plants: field of flowering rose cultivars from which bud (scion) wood will be harvested for budding onto multiflora seedling rootstocks

Early morning collection of bud wood from flowering cultivars.

Careful attention is paid to proper identification of cultivars throughout the production cycle

Freshly collected budwood

Trimming budwood into budsticks for later field budding

Right hand is heavily gloved to protect from thorns

Crew preparing multiflora stockplants for budding in late summer.

Soil is pulled away from the base of multiflora rose stock plants to prepare for budding

Budder’s box and a bag of bud sticks, kept from dessicating in moist sack.

Dave Bakker sits on the box while budding. A bundle of bud stick is stored out of the sun to avoid dessication.

A bud has been cut (not shown) from the bud stick. Basal end is pointing up. The sliver of wood (xylem) is removed from the inner bark by hand.

Freshly cut bud scion is held along side the base of the stem of the mulitflora rose roostock

Outer bark at the base of the rootstock stem is scraped away with the knife

Budder begins to prepare the rootstock

He begins by making the first horizonal part of the “T” cut into the rootstock with a rolling motion of the budding knife

Note the horizontal cut. Next he has made a vertical cut which intersects the horizontal cut, forming a “T”. He uses the tip of his knife to peel back the flap of bark on one side of the “T”.

Bark flap is peeled further back to expose the underlying wood.

The bark flap is held open with the spatula end of the budding knife while the bud is slid downwards into the pocket created by cutting the “T”.

The bud has been entirely inserted and the overhanging end of the bud has been cut away so it does not protrude from the top of the T pocket.

A latex patch with a large staple is used to cover the newly inserted bud.

The patch is stretched around the budded area…

…tightly…

… and attached from the back by forcing the staple through the other end of the patch. Note that the bud itself has been entirely covered since it will remain dormant until next Spring.

T-bud completed and tied. Graft union formation – callusing – will commence during the warm Fall days but the bud will remain dormant until chilled during the Winter.

Many rootstocks are budded in a single day.

This picture was taken approximately one year later in the late Summer. After bud grafting the previous Summer the bud overwintered dormant. By Spring the latex patch has crumbled and fallen off. The upper portion of the rootstock was cut back to just above the inserted bud to force it into growth. The new bud puts on considerable growth during the growing season and a finished plant is dug in the Fall, stored bareroot in cool storage, sold, shipped, and planted out the following Spring.

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