Sara-Ann,

I acquired a grafted (probably Dr. Huey...don't know for sure), bare root PJP II, and plan to plant it within the next few days. I purposely acquired a grafted version of PJP II, because of all the research I did, it seemed to indicate that in a colder zone like mine, it will be more vigorous than an own root. This remains to be proven in my garden.

I will say, my bare root, grafted has a huge, husky root stock system, but the three canes are rather spindly! How could such a superior root system produce such wimpy canes? Maybe I am headed to experience results similar to yours as you have with your PJP II. If so, it may be PJPII is primarily a warm climate rose? But my rose most likely was produced in California or Texas where the canes should have gotten much huskier!

Sara-Ann, can I ask what do you consider as a less than vigorous rose? Does it bloom few repeats? Does it grow spindly canes?

I don't have much to offer as I just got this rose late last fall. Mine seems to have been one of the first to "wake up", and it now has LOTS of green leaves.

I think you can sometimes just be unlucky and get a dud. I don't know, poor graft or something.

Jasmine, I'm trying a few roses on fortuniana this year, but PPJII isn't one, however, that might be the answer if that works out for me. Moses, sure hope yours do good. Karen, it's a runt, doesn't get more than two feet, I get a few blooms, but not nearly as many as I would if it was a decent size, fairly slow repeat too. And, Laurie I agree, I think sometimes we can be unlucky and get a dud!

I agree that you may have a runt of PJPII. I have mine grafted and it grows to at least 3.5ft and about 2.5ft wide by end of season. I have at least 2 flushes a growing season. Though some flowering canes can be small and spindly. Do you think the place where you bought it from will replace it? So sorry that they sent you a dud.

Fortuniana.

Sara-Ann,

By all means, please keep us posted on how your fortuniana grafted roses perform, especially how they survive wintering over.

I foresee a "Catch 22", problem if you bury the bud union down about 4", in hopes of the rootstock surviving the winter. This method would be standard procedure to help a less winter hardy top graft survive up north. It could work as well to preserve the life of a tender rootstock.....but the top graft MAY subsequently begin to grow its own roots being below soil. Then the fortuniana rootstock starts to decline, because it MAY be repeatedly weaken over the winters anyway. Finally, in spite of the rootstock being put down deep, it will yield essentially the same results in time as if you planted an own root version of the known to be less vigorous variety in the first place.

Just the same, your experiment is exciting to me, and if it proves to be successful, opens up a new door for us colder zone rose lovers. Sara-Ann the pioneer!

You can try a different plant. Some plants of the same variety just aren't viable.

Fortuniana is iffy at best in my area. You could try it by burying the graft below the surface, but the usual recommendation for planting Fort. is to leave the graft above ground. A friend who tried it here had her plants last through two winters, but they didn't make it through the spring. The plants did not seem to be more vigorous than own root.

My Pope John Paul II is my most floriferous bush. The problem is that the stems are not strong enough and sometimes they fall over and so many of the blooms become distorted, especially if there is any rain. I think that this is because the petal count is so high.

I've had 2 PJPII and neither of them was very vigorous. The blooms are lovely, of course, and he smells divine, but the plant itself just doesn't grow much. I also found that its growth habit is short and wide and not the usual HT tall and narrow. I loved the thick petals on the blooms as they didn't spot with rain or ball in high humidity but as it was a bit winter tender for me I don't think I'll try it again.

Dan,

Is your PJP II, own root? Thanks!

Seil,

Were your PJP II, own root? Thanks!

My PJPII is from Palatine so it's grafted on multiflora. It was planted into the ground early April 2016 and did very well for me last year. Like Seil said, it's short and wide instead of tall and narrow. The flowers do flop over after it rains... I'm hoping the stems will become stronger as the plant matures.

Arisyn, it's a beauty! How has it come through this past winter?

Yours is gorgeous Arisyn, looks very healthy! I have several roses that have done well on multiflora, not all of them, however, might be a worth a try though.

I bought mine from Edmunds Roses. I think mine is grafted on Dr. Huey. It is doing very well and has wintered well. I planted mine on my eastern wall so maybe it is somewhat sheltered.

Both of mine were grafted and were bought potted from local nurseries. Pretty sure they were on Dr. Huey.

I've tried both own root and grafted PJPII and they were neither very vigorous, or hardy for that matter. I had some of the own root ones survive a few years and put out a few flowers a year, had a grafted one die over winter, and so far the most recent grafted try from Palatine is surviving into its second year, but died to the ground. I have yet to get mine to put out more than a flower or two at a time, and they've never gotten taller than 3' at that. May be a cold zone thing, but even in my protected zone 6 pocket where these have always been, it's not a strong fit for my zone.

Cynthia

Ouch! I think I'm headed for disappointment with my PJP II, just planted yesterday...and right at the front of my bed next to Julia Child and Sweet Fragrance....maybe they will draw attention away from PJP II, if it falters! Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Sara- Ann. Here is my Jp.II, on Fortuniana in zone 10 b. This is his second year. I reported him 2 months ago to 7 gal pot. He had the smallest roots compared to my other 2 years roses. He just started forming the buds- 10 so far, grows short. He is definitely my late bloomer. Lest's see what it becomes.