The reason for the high graft is to prevent own-rooting in Florida where the southern root-knot nematode kills most rose roots, but not Fortuniana. (Incidentally it is convenient for the budder.) This nematode is not a problem outside of Florida and other southern coastal areas. Incidentally, the Fortuniana shank and crown may be more winter-tender than the typical scion graft, but reports differ,

Karima, I forgot to add that fortuniana can take up to 3 years to get fully established. However, in the meantime you should still see some progressive growth and blooming. After about a year it can be pretty impressive. I think your idea of clearing some of the mulch away from the base of the plant is a good idea. If you have piled any extra soil on top of the roots, I would gently skim some of that off with your hands. Don't poke around though, or you'll disturb the roots. I've had some of my bushes sink down into the ground in the past, and they did fine as long as I kept all the excess mulch and soil that wanted to keep caving in cleared out. Now I plant them a little high, as they always seem to settle some. One of the biggest advantages to fortuniana is that it is able to extract nutrients more efficiently from sandy soils. That's why it is the best rootstock for sandy areas. The fact that it is nematode resistant is a plus. (It is not nematode-proof though. If you have a huge nematode problem, it can get the fortuniana also). Nematodes are able to move through sandy soils easily, by using a swimming type of movement. There are many types of nematodes, including lots of beneficial ones. "Bad" nematodes do not like organic matter, probably because it results in lots of beneficial organisms that kill the bad guys, and maybe makes it difficult for them to travel. It's always a good idea to add some organic material when planting, top-dressing with some periodically, as well as adding a good layer of mulch. It seems to inhibit the destructive nematodes. Keep the mulch (pine bark, or whatever) a good 6 to 12 inches away from the base of the rose. Hope all this helps! Sandy

You can get virus-indexed 8" cuttings from UC Davis' Foundation plant service for .50 cents a piece (but there is a $25 minimum order), here: http://fpms.ucdavis.edu/WebSitePDFs/Price&VarietyLists/RosePriceList.pdf Note they have an October 15, 2012 order deadline for rootstocks for fall shipment in November, see here: http://fpms.ucdavis.edu/WebSitePDFs/Price&VarietyLists/RoseDeadline.pdf Melissa Here is a link that might be useful: FPS Rose Varieties

Sorry...but almost all roses use this rootstock and it would be easy to grow them from a cutting (you'd need to remove the grafted rose and allow it to go back to its rootstock version..this sometimes happen when the grafted rose looses health). Here is a link that might be useful: A Spot With Pots