Fortuniana rootstock was created basicall for rosarians in Florida or the other gulf coast states where there is a serious nematode problem. They will not do well in cooler to colder areas of the country. I am afraid that if you get the roses you crave on Fortuniana, you will all too soon be disappointed. If I were in your situation, I would see if RU had what I wanted, and get the roses from them, or perhaps you could ask them to root what you want. Fortuniana is not for you, sorry.

The ones I am considering are miniatures, and would not necessarily have to spend their first winter out in the middle of the yard unprotected. Under "normal" conditions, yes, I understood the basic premise that it's for nematode resistance in warmer climates. Specifically, has anyone else ever TRIED this north of where it's typically recommended?

Flaura,

I've planted roses on Fortuniana at my parents vacation property in the mountains of NC. On average one our of five die, but then again I'm never there to take care of them.

In my own yard in balmy SF I've had some Fort. grafted roses go on their own roots, but only after three years in the ground. There are, however, ways of helping the sittuation along, albeit risky ones. You could scar the bud union prior to buring it and wrap it loosely in a rag soaked in a growing and rooting medium. Be careful though, Mr. Mills sends very young plants (not as young as RU, but not much older). I would keep the plant in a pot for the first year so I could bring it in should a freak cold spell occur.

Good luck!

Adrian.

I've attempted fortuniana root stocck roses for the same reason you're wanting to do it. Each attempt has met with failure. The rose died. I tryed overwintering potted Fortuniana root stock roses in my greenhouse to no avail. Due to the depth the root stock needs to be planted to get the scion deep enough to go own root, it also failed, although I never attempted to lay the root stock sideways in the planting hole.
Do as Roseman suggests and find an alternate source.
What varieties are you looking for?

Okey dokey, that seals it....thanks roseman & rosenut!

I can't seem to find Dr. John Dickman and Whirlaway. I think Rosemania actually had Whirlaway last year, but now it's gone. I haven't seen DJD offered anywhere except K&M.
Bummer.

I'm poring over others that are similar in behavior & appearance as possible substitues. I've seen Green Ice & it looks too similar to another rose I already have.

Thanks!

Green Ice is not similar to Whirlaway, except that both are white with some green tinges. Whirlaway has classic, exhibition, hybrid tea form. It is a beautiful rose. Green Ice has an open form, more like a modern shrub.

Deja Blu might be similar enough to Dr. John Dickman.

Both roses you names are extremely popular with exhibitors, I would be surprised if someone didn't offer it shortly.

Laura, do not go the Fort route. Wait until the Peoria Rose Society gets their mini list in February; maybe Dr. John will be on the list. That's where I got mine.
-t

Try contacting Steve Singer at wiroses.com. He grafts onto multiflora and I think he had a few DJD last year. Maybe he has that and Whirlaway this year. I would call Robbie at Rosemania, too, just in case he has a few Whirlaways, but not enough to advertise them. Yes, it's getting harder to find roses with all the nurseries closing.

Diane,
My DH really likes the green tint on Whirlaway, and I know that Green Ice has a similar tint. I was aware that the form of the bloom is different; Green Ice reminds me more of my Mme Hardy, but in a smaller, greener way.

Terry, I'll try to keep the ants out of my pants & wait on the Peoria mini list. I think I may need to lay off the caffeine!! :) Heck, I don't even have the beds constructed yet. Glad about these follow-up posts since it's reminding me to call JULIE this morning!

A rose acquaintance of mine was frustrated trying to find a mini rose he wanted and called Cool roses to see if they would custom propagate one own root (they had the mother plant). They said they would think about it but they weren't too encouraging. I am clueless on grafting a rose, but it would seem to me that growing one own root wouldn't be any more complicated then doing that. Anyone have an idea why they won't/don't do it? It would seem to be another source of income, and as noted, most of the roses wanted are not available through another source. Just curious.

Flaurabunda; I'd suggest ordering as you have to if that's the only way you can get them, burying the graft, as you suggest, and in fact, scarifying and layering a couple of canes instantly, so that you get some new own-root plants started quickly.

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Musings Blog

I live in zone 7A, and a friend tried to grow fortuniana. He is a consulting rosarian and master gardener. His bed was raised, and he completely covered it in the winter. I think he even put bags of leaves all around the inside or outside to try to protect the roses.

He was not successful. Possibly it is because here in Tulsa, we can have a sudden late freeze after the plants have come out of dormancy.

Sammy

Thank you everyone for the input. Interesting that this came up on a different forum, and the owner of this nursery actually suggested to another person in zone 6 that the fortuniana would work for them. Nobody on that forum discounted the owner's assertion.....hmmmm.

I'll probably wait to get DJD the right way; it's one that I'd be very disappointed about if I were to lose it. I may experiment on 1 or 2 others, though, that are mere curiosities.

I'm borderline 6/7. A friend (exhibitor and meticulous with her roses) who lives 5 miles south tried roses on Fort. They all made it through the first winter, but none of them made it through the second, and the winter were similar.

Laura, have you called K & M and talked to them ? they are great folks and maybe they could send you what you want that is not grafted, they must have some mother-stock around and could send that to you, or maybe make cuttings and send them later... might be worth a try... good luck, sally

Sally, I hadn't called or emailed them, although I have heard that they are indeed great to work with. I'd hate to ask a nursery for cuttings without being sure that I could successfully get them to take off. I'd feel totally guilty about it. Just a personal thing for me--I'd feel uncomfortable asking for something without being able to offer them something in return. Cash seems like little compensation when there are so many people that are probably in the same boat, searching for hard-to-find roses, and nurseries giving it their best shot in bad times.

Maybe I just have a sour taste in my mouth after seeing a couple of posts by strangers that seemed to do just that.

In either case, it will all work out. My silly self is now contemplating a few other roses after visiting the Chicago Botanical Gardens yesterday....lol.

Thanks!

Laura, I meant for you to ask if they could root a cutting and not graft it and then send it to you later when it has grown.... I myself have never been able to root cuttings, but they are experts at it, you wouldn't get the plant right away, but it might be worth waiting for... just an idea, sally

Ah, okay. I misread it. I think there are probably a bunch of people who would love it if K&M would start offering own-root versions of their roses. I know there's a demand, especially for the Eddie Edwards varieties.

But, and there's always a caveat, a lot of roses need to be on a strong rootstock to make good plants. Eddie Edwards makes beautiful roses, but some of mine from him that were on fortuniana via Johnny Becnel did not want to go own root, and were not strong enough on their own roots to make me happy.
It's one thing for roses to stay alive barely; thriving is a whole 'nother world and some classes of roses are grafted because they do better on roots other than their own.

Laura, I called Terry Richards and he's going to request a Dr. John for you when he puts in the mini list if it's available from our mini supplier.

You must FB me and tell me about your trip to Chicago...and what roses you saw :) and what I may want...or maybe you shouldn't. I don't need anymore.
-t

WOW! Thanks Terry! I'll try to get on FB after dinner tonight. It's so cold today that I put a bird in the oven. It was a great trip & now I'm revising my "maybes" list.

I hope the bird was dead first? Poor bird!
There are better ways to keep them warm.

Hehe......I assure you he was very warm; 180 degrees internally by my count.

Funny thing---my son's autistic & he said the very same thing. "This bird is DEAD?" He equates a "dead" animal with what he sees on the side of the road. My son thought we were having road kill for dinner.

Flaurabunda; another possibility, what roses are you wanting? Maybe someone has one and will root it for you? There are good people here.

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Musings blog

Dr. John Dickman is the one I'm having problems finding, but that might be taken care of.

Two others I'd love to have but won't die without are Whirlaway, and a new Eddie Edwards HT called "Laura V", because that was my name before getting married.

I don't actually have anywhere to put the latter two.