Apparently roses growing in potting soil make lots of feeder roots and few of the fleshy roots that they need to penetrate garden soil. I don't know if that's part of the answer to your question. With grafted roses, the rootstock was already growing in soil as a rooted cutting and then gets two more seasons to grow after grafting and before harvest.

If those are RU plants from 1-gal, they are around one year past striking root. They are two years behind grafted plants in root development, but I'd say the overall plant development sometimes lags only a year behind. Tiny band plants have a longer lag-- these may be only a month or two past striking root.

Also, different sorts of rootstocks have different root structures.

Jeri

Thanks MichaelG and Jerijen...

MichaelG your explanations also added my feelings that I triply compounded my mistakes when I planted my Frederick Mistral with a plum tree as its neighbor (I have this completely empty lot that begged for roses but then there's that stupid dappled sun issue and I was so stubborn about having more roses-sigh!)... Granted I hacked off chunks of the tree roots to make sure they didn't get in the way of my Frederick Mistral, but I worry it may take too long for my Frederick Mistral to develop a strong root system that it can compete with the plum tree (2 years lag/wait time is very worrisome) It's super tall like a fully developed rose except its stems don't have bulk, another indicator to me that it has baby roots and no anchor roots yet ...I think in March 2010 if it survives with my winter protection, I'll transplant it into a regular pot and stick it near the tree so that it still have the same light conditions but not the crowded soil until it gains that bulkiness that indicates the anchor roots have set in...

What do you think of this idea?

As for my own root climbers, Jerijen, what are their shapes like? Do own-root climber roots develop faster than regular own-root hybrid teas? or do they all develop at exactly the same rate... Thanks all!

Each rose develops at its own time. You can't really generalize about growth rates of entire groups like climbers, HTs, etc.

Some general statements.

Grafted roses are grown in the ground and are about 2 1/2 years old when you get them. Most own root roses are grown in pots and are up to a year old. Roses develop different types of root systems when raised in the ground vs raised in a pot.

BUT once that potted own root is planted it will catch up to to grafted variety. How fast depends on which rose it is.

Having raised field grown crops of roses as grafted and as own root in the field they develop equally well with similar root systems. Having also raised them both in pots, grown that way they will also develop similar root systems at the same speed.

IMO In the end buy the rose you are looking for and if it means you have take a little time to raise it from a band just enjoy that part of the journey. Gardening is about patience anyway!

Hope this helps
Paul

All I know is that own root roses are a lot easier to plant. Less digging.

I wouldn't worry too much about Fredic Mistral, he is a monster rose! He can take care of himself. :D

Thanks so much Paul for all your kind thoughts and very valuable growing experience with the roses... I learned a lot about the roots from you and the info was tremendously helpful and informative...and of course, we are all crazy about your terrific viddies too!

Msjam2, I truly hope Freddie will be a monster rose! that he will creep past that plum tree and take over LOL! what he needs is Freddie Krueger roots to get past the plum tree roots, but seriously I am very worried about him... I am planning to wrap tons of burlap around him this winter in the hopes he'll survive so that I can transplant him next year if need be to a pot... I really should have grown him first in a pot before placing him in the tree-infested ground... then for sure he would have lived up to "Monster rose"...So far he is tall, tall and still getting taller and one of the canes I had to cut 2ft. off because it was outgrowing its tall bamboo support and was leaning over! the foliage is very even, beautifully spaced throughout the canes but no new basal breaks, not even new stems just more and more leaves, leaves, leaves this month (sigh) even with the sea tea nourishment...