Austins with low lying branches that root itself (like Radio Times) has better bloom production when it's older with extending root system. Below is my Radio Times as 12th-year own-root, 100% healthy. Pic. below shows 1/2 of the bush, taken in late July in only 4 hrs. of sun: I have Knock-outs and FlowerCarpet which were bought grafted-on-Dr.Huey when my daughter was 3, now she's 20. These have grown ownroots ABOVE the grafted bud. They are in soaking wet & poor drainage clay. Two lost Dr.Huey-rootstock completely when I dug it up, but they grew small own-roots above. Still abundant in blooms after 15+ years in only 4 hrs. of sun. The best blooming is from those with BOTH own roots above and Dr.Huey rootstock below. In contrast, Double-Delight which I bought 9 years ago as grafted-on-Dr.Huey NEVER grow its own-root since it's a dry spot (near a big spruce tree). This Double Delight bloomed well for the first 3 years, then it's a drastic decline in blooming in 4th year, and now as 9th-year grafted, I got only 5 blooms max per year !! Nearby rose park replaces Austin roses (grafted on Dr.Huey) every 2 to 3 years, and hybrid teas every 4 years. For VIGOROUS rose to grow its own-root above Dr.Huey-roostock, I topped it with 1 foot of fluffy soil, plus poor drainage clay below so it's constantly wet to rot Dr.Huey-roostock. Growing own-root above Dr.Huey is possible in high-rain climate, see below the big & chunky root of Dr.Huey, and the tiny own-root (on the left) that grew ABOVE the grafted-union. It's from grafted Pink Peace when I dug it up in a soaking wet bed:

You're welcome, Lyna! Yes ma'am, each one HAS its own personality. It's observing them then determining what other "personalities" you want to mate them to that's part of the fun of breeding. If your cuttings are rotting, they're too wet. Whether that's due to too heavy soil, watering them too frequently or having too high humidity due to covering them, something is keeping them too wet, so they rot. If they shrivel, they're usually drying out. I'd not had success rooting roses in my new climate until I ran across the wrapping method, which I termed "Burrito Method" and detailed on my blog below. Like all the other methods, it requires tweaking to get it set just right for your specific conditions, but once you get the hang of it, the method works! A few months ago, I received bud wood of a rose I'd sought, from a lovely lady in Northern California. The wood was quite thin and I didn't know what exactly I could do with it. I had stocks rooted, so I tried budding it, then took what wasn't really suitable and tried a modified method of rooting. It was actively growing, and it was warm, so the wrapping method wouldn't work. I treated them as I would any cuttings, then planted them very deeply in seed starter mix, in gallon cans and placed them under other potted roses where they would have higher humidity, some filtered sun, but protection from the real heat and extreme sun. Most failed, but a few ARE rooted! Many of the buds also failed, but some are remaining green after a few months and appear to be successful. I figured by planting them deep, so most of the cutting length was immersed in cool, damp soil, they wouldn't dry out. It's what I do with callused cuttings out of the wraps, and it works perfectly with them. With only an inch or so of cutting poking out of the soil, and only a leaf or two remaining on them, they could provide some photosynthesis to help carry them along until roots formed. Once it begins raining, I will transplant them from their communal pots, lifting them to the level I want them to grow. Until then, I'll let them continue forming roots. The rains will help to harden them off so they won't be lost to being subjected to too high heat, too brilliant sun and too dry conditions too quickly. I'm also getting ready to break the tops of the root stocks so the foliage will remain attached to help keep them fed, but much of the sap flow will be interrupted so it is directed into the inserted buds, forcing them to begin growing. I use both the traditional "T" budding method and Burling's Chip Budding Method on several different root stocks so I hedge my bet with whatever I have and want to insure takes. Using several methods helps spread the risk of loss so chances of success improve dramatically. I use VI IXL, Cardinal Hume and Sequoia's Pink Clouds. I should also obtain some VI Dr. Huey and VI Ragged Robbin. I had the Ragged Robin VI from the Heritage Rose Garden, but lost it. I also have Dr. Manner's VI Fortuniana. It's finally put out enough thicker growth to provide some decent stocks next spring, so I'll probably start messing with budding to it then. If I have material I want to reproduce in the appropriate window here for rooting; I know it roots OK and grows OK own root; and it is of the appropriate condition for wrapping, I will wrap it. If it's summer, hence hotter (too hot for wrapping) and the material is actively growing, I'll try budding it. Whatever remains which isn't suitable for budding, I'll strike as cuttings to see if something works. But, if you wait until you have what you've been looking for, forever, to learn how to make the methods you want to use, work, you're guaranteed to fail. Murphy assures that. It's like waiting until the day before you take your world cruise to buy your new, elaborate camera you have absolutely no idea how to use. You're doomed. Rooting and budding are about equally as easy to learn. The hardest part is determining you are NOT going to allow it to overwhelm you. If it doesn't work, don't get frustrated. Put on your diagnostician's hat, figure out WHY it didn't so you can fix the problems, then get back on that horse to show it who's boss. Kim Here is a link that might be useful: Wrapping cuttings

CPTK, They use Syringa reticulate and if you decide to buy one to graft your dwarf Korean onto, buy the "Silk" one. It is smaller in size for your patio lilac tree. Look under Treefarmusa dot com and look under Dwarf Korean lilac tree and it tells you there.

Red.................Love White...............Innocence Yellow..............Friendship Coral...............Desire Light Pink..........Joy Dark Pink...........Thankfulness Lavender............Enchantment Orange..............Fascination