Where do you garden, Steve?

Good question Steve. I'd be interested to see if anyone knows. I know that, after getting on the case of a few rose growers here in FL, some have said they stopped using virussed Fortuniana root stock, but this hasn't been confirmed.

Actually, I garden in Wisconsin (zone 3:) but in a conservatory.

I have two HTs on fortuniana I got from K&M Roses that are mostly doing fine. One seems clean and quite vigorous, the other, an older rose, I'm not sure about. It's not growing as quickly and has thrown several suckers from the rootstock.

I'd like to add several more roses but I want them virus free, if possible. Mail order. Steve H

Remember that whether or not the 'Fortuniana' rootstock is virused or virus-free is a moot point if the rose budded onto it is also virused.

You may wish to contact Burlington Roses about custom-budding. I know she has several rootstocks, and that may include VID 'Fortuniana'. She'd be able to guide you.

:-)

~Christopher

Sad to say, unless the nursery has virus free scion material, it doesn't matter if the rootstock used is virus free. It's VERY rare to find un-virused mother plants, unless they have recently been obtained as virus indexed plants from someone like UC Davis or Malcomb at Florida Southern College. Then there are the (few) newer rose introductions that have never been grafted to virused Huey/fortuniana rootstock, ever. Most of those are virus free. But unless a nursery SPECIFICALLY states that they use virus free rootstock AND scion material, you can assume their roses are infected. And according to Jeri, at least one nursery claimed to be virus free, but still sent her a virused plant and then denied that it could possibly be infected when she complained!

John

Oops...looks like you beat me to it, Chrisopher, lol.

I suggest that you contact Wisconsin Roses http://www.wiroses.com/index.php

From their order form:

"Wisconsin Roses guarantees that all plants are free of disease including Rose Mosaic Virus."

John, could you link me to the post you are referring to concerning Jeri. I know I read it at some point and cannot find it now. I have a concern regarding one of my newly acquired roses. I may be overthinking it, but I am new to this and did want to refer back to that.

Thanks, Mb

I think the issue is definitely in the scion and not the rootstock when it comes to fortuniana. I know K&m uses bud sticks from the huge fortuniana bushes they grow in their fields. Theses bushes are pretty old and very vigorous, showing no signs of virus. But the scions, that's a totally different story. You might want to try cool roses in Palm Beach. They do all their own grafting and it's possible they may get their supplies from Florida Southern.

Wisconsin Roses are on multiflora. Because they're in - WISCONSIN!

I have several K&M and they are very vigorous, no sign of RMV. The fort plant I have is also from K&M (courtesy of a Touch of Class, RIP).

Just for the record, not complaining about K&M.

Buford, that made me laugh. Poor Touch Of Class. But hey, at least you have a nice source for root stocks if you ever decide to try grafting. :)

I might get TOC again. I actually won it in a rose raffle. I planted it and then we had the polar vortex. When it grew back, I knew it looked weird. That's when I found out it was fortuniana. I like fort because the suckers are very easy to identify as opposed to Dr. Huey.

I suggested that you contact Wisconsin Roses because you are from Wisconsin, their anti virus policy, and because they are as close to a custom rose budding company that I am aware of (look at their videos). I do not know if they keep any fortuniana rootstock around or if they would accept fortuniana from you for custom budding. You will have to talk to them.