Rose Bush Graft Growth
...or maybe a "Sport"

The Rose Bush Graft Growth Question Was From:

First Name: Sybil
City: Pinetown
State/Prov: Kwa Zulu Natal
Country: South Africa
The Subject of your Question (1 or 2 words): Ill rose

We have an answer to the question you submitted to www.rose-works.com

Your Question:

I have a Queen Elizabeth rose, that is not doing well.

New growth has spurted from the bottom of the plant. Should I trim this off to allow the main plant a chance to recuperate?

I remember my father (a rose grower) doing this, as the new growth would not bear proper roses.

Our Answer:

Strange growth from ground level:

We find this happening now and then, but not especially with the Queen Elizabeth pink

There are a couple of possible reasons for this growth, but before you cut it out make sure the leaf groups are seven and not five as they should be. If they are seven then all should be removed, if five then it is probably just an ordinary new stem.

a. One reason is that the joint between the root and the stem (the grafting) has broken down and the root part is sending out it's own stems. If this is the case then the graft will deteriorate further and eventually the bush will cease to perform. All you can do then is to replace the whole rose bush.

b. A second reason is that the rose bush is sending up what is called a "sport" or throw back to an earlier gene. Sometimes these produce a different color or shape and become a future gold medal rose bush but most often they are inferior versions of the parent. The best thing to do is see one of them bloom and decide if it's worth keeping. Best probably to keep on cutting out this unusual growth from the base.

The Queen Elizabeth rose bush generally is not the best of qualities and is very susceptible to black-spot, but it is a popular favorite, especially if it has been in the family for some time. It may be time to look for a brand new replacement. Not all rose bushes last forever, unfortunately!

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