Depends, depends, depends...

Not all roses are "so easy to root".

Not all roses do well own-root in every area. I really am disappointed in own-root HTs, they just don't seem to flourish for me.

If I could get every rose grafted on multiflora rootstock (and I might try my hand at doing some budding on my own), that's what I would choose. (Well, to be honest, if it was hardy here I would actually choose Fortuniana rootstock.)

Bolero is a small rose, grafted or not. I've only seen it grafted on Dr. Huey, and it doesn't get much larger than 3' tall, if that. What you are looking for is vigor and hardiness. Some plants do better own root, some do better grafted (depending on the rootstock) and for some it is a toss-up. Some you can only get one way (only grafted or only own root).

Some other discussions in Pickering or ARE?, Own-root vs. multiflora/guidelines in choosing one over.

I also heard that own-root roses develop a more natural and pleasing bush shape than a grafted version. Mine, so far, are too small to tell :)

Thank you so much for this information. It gets me going. For me, grafted or not is not going to make much difference given my weather and soil.

K.

In my area hybrid teas and floribundas allmost have to be grafted. They establish faster and start growing earlier in the spring than ownroot. I believe it is the short growing season that makes grafted roses much better.

That said, rugosas, gallicas, some albas and bourbons grow very well on their own root. In spite of some theories I have found that it is the least winter hardy ones that need to be grafted to grow well and give lots of flowers.

I live on Long Island so our weather and growing conditions are probably quite similiar. When I started growing roses about 4 years ago, I read all about the benefits of own-root roses and so I bought quite a few of them. I must tell you that I have been very disappointed in some of my own root roses because they lack vigor. After four+ years in the ground, my Abraham Darby rose is 2 1/2 feet tall. If I had bought it grafted from Pickering, it would be 3x that size. I can say the same about the lack of vigor for ownroot plants on most all my Austin roses, some of my Hybrid Teas and some of my OGRs. I wish I had started out with grafted plants on multi-flora. That is primarily what I buy now. I have had good luck with many ownroot plants...all of my large-flowered climbers are own root and quite vigorous. I have many shrub roses that also do very well own-root. But Austins and OGRS...I'm only buying grafted on multi-flora (Pickering Nurseries, Hortico, Palatine, etc). Again, these are just my experiences which have led to my opinions. Good luck with your rose growing! Shelley

Dr. Huey is not a good undestock for the northeast because it really prefers alkaline soils. That said, if the rose was only available on Dr. Huey, I'd get it, plant the graft 3" under ground and hope it would get on its own roots. Grafted plants get off to a faster start and give you a full grown rose the first season with lots of flowers. Own-root are slower off the mark and up here where we get a lot of sub-zero temperatures, it's difficult for the small own-root plant to survive its first winter. I generally grow them along in pots for a year (bringing them inside in winter) to get a big enough plant to withstand our climate. (I'm 100 miles North of NYC).

IMO, there has been way too much propaganda about the virtues of own-root roses. The bottom line is that they're easier & less time-consuming for a nursery to produce. And skilled grafting people are not that easy or cheap to obtain. But as said above, grafting is really required for some climates & soil conditions. I wish there were many more nurseries grafting on multiflora.

What neroseman says is very true: it is extremely difficult to find skilled people who could do grafting or budding. As far as I know Canadian companies 'import' the skilled people from Europe for a few months.
However, there are all those people in the US who graft/bud onto dr. Huey. My questions are the following. Is it so different to bud scions onto Dr Huey as into multiflora? Does multiflora grafting require different skills? Or, do the big growers retain these grafters and they would not allow them to work for a smaller company who would consider grafting/budding into multiflora under stock?

There's no significant difference in budding skill needed or methods used, between multiflora and 'Dr. Huey'. With Fortuniana, on the other hand, different methods are used, since Fort is so difficult to T-bud (the method most used for the other types).

Grafting/budding does appear to be becoming a lost art. At the moment, I'm being sent to Kyrgyzstan on a USAID assignment, to teach, among other things, techniques for budding apple, pear, and cherry. The same problem seems to exist everywhere -- too few people can do it.

It is very difficult to find budders and very expensive if you can. Also try convincing the US Government you need to a temporary work permit to bring in skilled budders from out of the country!

Most budded crops grown in the field are also two year old plus crops. Own root crops in pots are one year old for a gallon plant or larger. For small nurseries the savings of a year old crop over a two year old crop can be the difference between staying in business and bankruptcy.

Personally I think the debate over which is better is answered by the simple question, "what is best for you, in your climate and for the types of roses you like to grow?" The answer can be found by talking to other like rose lovers in your area. I like own root for my garden, but it would be presumptuous of me to try to convince someone up north who prefers grafted that own-root is better because I have never grown roses in their climate. And vice versa of course also holds true.

ItÂs all personal folks!

And isnÂt it great that you have a choice.

Paul

I live in San Francisco (in the fog belt area of the city)and have sandy soil that is native to this particular area. My climate is somewhat similar to that in England where David Austin grows and hybridizes his plants. All of the own root David Austin roses that I have purchased (St Swithun, Jude the Obscure, Comtes de Champaign, William Shakespeare 2000) have been disappointments in terms of the vigor of the plant. Very small, not wanting to grow...and this has gone on for years until I finally gave up. I have grown grafted plants of all of these varieties and have had wonderful success with large, vigorous plants. If you saw a grafted and own root plant of the same variety right next to each other in my yard, you wouldn't ever dream that they were the same variety. I do know of other people in other areas of the country who swear by own root roses, but at least in my growing conditions, they have not performed well even after several years of coddling.

What makes the whole situation even more maddening, is that some roses excel own root and some do better grafted. Sometimes you don't know until you try. It's great when there are others in your climate that have done the experimenting for you.

For example, I have found Molineux to be great (so far) on its own roots, and I can tell very little difference between a grafted one and own root as far as performance, bushiness, etc. On the othet hand, I don't find Sophy's Rose to be so great on her own roots. I'd classify her as "O.K." I don't have one on fortuniana to compare her to. She is healthy, been no-spray, but there's not a great deal of vigor. She blooms often, but I'll bet the rebloom would be better if she were on fortuniana, and I'll bet she'd be a more attractive bush.

Sandy

So is there a vendor who grafts on multiflora and fortuniana?

K.

Not one vendor who grafts on both. Most vendors stick to only selling plants grafted on one rootstock or selling plants grafted on one rootstock AND some own-root like Pickering (multiflora and some own-root) and J&P (Dr. Huey and some own-root "New Generation").

Fortuniana rootstock isn't winter hardy here (or for you either), you would have to grow them in pots and bring them in for the winter. A friend whose house is 5 miles south of me tried Fort., they made it through the first winter (heavily mulched) but didn't survive the second.

Vendors who sell grafts on R. multiflora are Palatine Roses (I am still amazed at the vigor of these plants), Pickering Nursery, Hortico (good luck), Wisconsin Roses (maidens, which are newly budded bareroots, interesting).

malcolm manners, where would one find a training facility to learn grafting techniques and to become skilled in the craft? I would love to learn how and ultimately switch vocations. I hope you don't tell me it needs a 4-year or even 2-yr degree program, but whatever I would appreciate knowing what's involved. Thanks. Sherry

india, most of the roses growing in the UK are grafted, not own root.

I have both grafted and own root. The own roots start out smaller, but with a few exceptions, in the 2nd or 3rd year are just as big as the grafts.

I'm also pretty sure that most of my grafts are Dr. Huey because they came from J&P for the most part, and they do quite well in my acidic soil.