Photo of RD because its just tremendous as an own root

PAOK seems to be fine own-root for me, but I don't have grafted plants to compare them to. Now it its third year from a DA own root "2 qt" rose, it is about 2-1/2 feet tall. From what I hear, that is still very small, but it seems fine to me. Desdemona has done very well for me own root, seeming to be quite vigorous. Olivia Rose Austin own-root did fine for me in a pot last year, so I put it in the ground this year, and it's just sitting there doing nothing. Just short blind shoots. We shall see. Bishop's Castle, Alnwick Castle, and Huntington Rose, Radio Times, Winchester Cathedral, Evelyn are doing very well own-root. My Munstead Woods (I have two) have grown very slowly own root. Sharifa Asma, Fair Bianca and Glamis Castle did fairly poorly own-root.

Thank you so much, Noseometer! I've got quite a few grafted DA's, but im really struggling with the own roots. Perhaps I'm just impatient, and they need more time then the grafted? 

Its ridiculously hard to find Austin's where I am, and I'm currently sourcing from a local nursery who only orders own root.

You certainly made me feel better about my choices, thank you!

After battling Dr. Huey for years in my old garden, I won't plant grafted roses. You may find own-root roses to be an advantage in your climate, in case you get a winter where the roses are killed to the ground, as they will grow back the same rose instead of the understock. People say that own-root roses grow more slowly, but I don't really see that being the case. They seem to grow bushy rather than growing tall canes at the beginning. Of course my climate is very different than yours, so your results may vary.

Bishop's Castle, own root.

Munstead Wood, this morning.

Those are absolutely gorgeous! 

I think I must be doing something wrong with the own root, or theyre just not particularly happy with my zone / planting conditions.

Munstead is one not happy with me, as an own root. All of my DA's that are grafted are on multiflora and seem to be doing a lot better - with the exclusion of Roald Dahl, Scepter'd Isle and Queen of Sweden (own root). Those three are super stars!

I'll keep my fingers crossed with the new ones. Hopefully they'll do well here

At this point, I wouldn't grow an own-root Austin if you paid me. I've tried a bunch of them, and they just do not grow. Without the extra boost from a rootstock, I think they want more heat than I can give them.

IME, own-root roses are OK if they don't die back, so they don't have to regrow to replace winterkill. If they die back, they need a rootstock.

I was wondering if that could be an issue, mad_gallica. I realize they're a guarantee for coming back and not being root stock, but they barely come back. The only ones that seem to bounce back well from winter kill (and this also depends on how harsh the winter is) are the ones I listed, as well as CPM & Teasing Georgia - they don't get much in the way of cane damage here. 

I'll try these ones and see how they do, hopefully they'll keep up with my decent bunch. 

This winter was extra awful, so ill give them all a bit of time to see if they can bounce back at all - if not a few of them might get the shovel