Rose Budding

Towards the end of June, and all through July, rose budding goes on.  Early in the morning or in the cool of the evening is the best time both for gardener and rose tree.  Rose budding is a difficult process to describe successfully, and should really be seen to be understood.

The first requisite is a sharp budding knife.  It is different from an ordinary penknife, the handle tapers off until it is as fine as a thumb-nail.  

How to bud

Now suppose that you have a large rose bush of Gloire de Dijon, and wish to see some red roses on its branches, select a firm shoot of last year’s growth, and make a longitudinal slit in the bark, taking care not to cut into the wood, then make a cross ways cut, so that the two slits form a T.  Now gently slip the handle end of the knife under the bark where you have made the incision, so as to make a place for inserting the “eye” or bud, which you must prepare.  Cut from a ripe shoot of this year’s growth a small “eye” (which is a shoot in embryo), and with a dexterous twist of the knife handle take out the wood (that is, the hard pith), which in the summer separates easily.  Trim it at each end, flat at one end and pointed at the other, then it is ready for insertion.

Implant the small end of the “eye” and push it well up, taking a thin strip of bass to bind it firm.  If it is at all likely to be windy, the whole shoot must be tied to a stake.  Several eyes should be inserted in the same tree, as they may not all take.

After treatment

When you have budded a branch, cut off the top, all but six inches, which should be left in order to draw the sap.  If the bud swells quickly (and a nice, plump eye is pretty certain to do so), it, too, must have its point nipped out when a few inches in length, as it weakens a shoot to allow it to bloom the same year.

As to the loosening the tie and rebinding, there is much needless difficulty made over this.  Many rose growers never relax or cut the bass at all, as the weather rots it in time, even if the swelling of the bud has not already broken it.