I think Mad Gallica means that, after a few years, the grafted rose goes own root, but is much more established by then, and will be much more vigorous than the small, young own roots you may be getting from the above vendors. In the beginning, the ogr is young and much weaker, and derives a lot of strength from the rootstock it is grafted onto. As to its survival if the rootstock dies after it has gone own-root, I'm pretty sure someone very knowledgeable on this forum stated that by then it didn't matter if the rootstock was still viable, as long as the rose had developed sufficient 'own' roots to sustain it. I hope I've got my facts straight, but if not, please chime in and correct me:)

Judith

The multiflora roots are more vigorous than any of the roses' own roots. They are also much less susceptible to losing roots due to freeze and being set back.

I have dug up and moved a few of my grafted Austins after a few years. I have noticed most of them growing their own roots above the graft. But as a whole, I don't think any of them have yet to grow their own root system that is more vigorous than the root stock.

I have a grafted rugosa, Souvenir de Philemon Cochet. Don't know why it's grafted, didn't know it was when I bought it in the container. Maybe someone was smart and was thinking "sucker control". More rugosas should be grafted. Anyways, this rugosa has never sent up any of its own suckers. It has, however, sent up shoots of its rootstock, which I have to keep slicing out every year.

Make sure you are comparing apples to apples, and not apples to oranges. Oranges don't do well in zone 5. I'm also not aware that a place like Chamblees sells any apples. They sell oranges.

So let's say we take two plants of the same variety, say Rosa Mundi, one grafted and one own-root. The grafted one is typically two years old (the rootstock part will be 3), while the own-root is typically only a couple of months old. It takes a few years for the own-root to make up that age difference. However, since it is a hardy rose, with no winterkill, that grows well on its own roots, it will eventually do it. A different, more tender rose, may not be vigorous enough own-root to make up for the annual winterkill. Basically, I've found that for me, in my garden, anything that winterkills has to be grafted or it never does well. So the idea that own-root roses are hardier is totally false.