Q.Rose
I received a grafted climbing rose in a generic group I purchased. I do not have a place for a climber. I have previously created my own root roses. If I do cuttings, will this still be a climber? Where does the climbing gene come from? Does the graft control that?
Some climbing roses were bred or hybridized to do just that, so the climbing gene would be in them. Taking cuttings would likely still give you a climbing rose. Some rosebushes can be pruned back to keep them more as shrub roses, such as Altissimo or some of the David Austin English rosebushes. In grafting the upper part of the rosebush is what is sold and desired by the buyer. The lower part or root stock is a hardier root stock so that the upper part performs better. So the graft and above is the rose you likely want. Below the graft is the hardy root stock that the particular nursery used for its hardy root stock.
