I would suggest own-root, as other members of the forum in zone 5 who grow this rose have reported some winter dieback. On her own roots, in the event she dies back to the ground, she may return. If grafted, the rootstock may begin growing in place of QoS after dieback.

Josh

Looks like I can get them own root on either site, I will keep that in mind.
Thank you, Josh!

Sara, neither of those places sends "tiny bands." In fact, very few places send tiny bands. Right off hand, Heirloom Roses is the only place I can think of that sends tiny bands.

I have never bought Austin's own roots, so cannot say anything about them (except I doubt they are tiny bands). However, Roses Unlimited sends healthy good-sized potted roses usually already in bloom. On the other hand, Austin sends good-sized healthy grafted plants. Both are good choices.

I can only think of two significant differences. If you want to plant very early in the spring, get Austin's grafted. If you don't mind waiting until about mid May (maybe even later in your zone), then order own-root from Roses Unlimited--all ready to pop in the ground!

A practical difference in terms of cost is which one is closer to you? Shorter distance, lower transporting costs--and sometimes they are almost as much as the cost of the rose itself!

Oh, thought of a third significant difference--for some gardeners. With own-root, you may have to wait an extra year or so for the plants to get to mature size. Grafted roses have a little more oomph in the beginning and spurt forward more quickly. However, many gardeners will testify that after several years, there are no noticeable differences between the two.

Some gardeners have all sorts of theories about why one type is better than the other. It doesn't make any real difference to me and I probably have half own roots and half grafted--all by chance. If I knew ahead of time that a rose was a weak or slow starter, I might deliberately order it grafted--for that extra oomph to get it going. Other than that, I personally have no preference.

My three Queens of Sweden are grafted from Austin and gorgeous when they bloom. Bit slow on the re-bloom, however--but that is my only criticism. My oldest QofS is probably 5 ft tall. More upright plant than many of Austin's other beauties.

Kate

This is a fantastic rose. Mine was own root started from a small band. I would recommend direct from DA. Their own roots come bareroot and comparable in size to other grafted roses. I've had two roses come from them like that.

So far this year, everything is covered in blackspot. QOS is one that is barely touched. Maybe 10%...at the very most. Bit slow on the rebloom. Very little dieback last winter (and it was a bit of a rough one.) I've got her up front taking the brunt of winds coming in from the west. In winter it can be harsh.

Thank you so much for the info. And thanks for sharing personal experiences with this rose!

I can't wait to grow it. Sounds like either seller is a good choice. I will probably do own root, because the roses I ordered from High Country last year were own-root I think, & I've been SO pleased with them.

Just FYI on the grafted bit. There are two common types of roots on a grafted rose: Dr. Huey or Multiflora. If your soil is alkaline (as is mine) you should definitely go with Dr. Huey (what Austin carries), if acidic, multiflora may be better....Much as Kay said, the decision to go with grafted versus own root should also take into consideration the basic vigor of a rose. If the vigor is only moderate on a grafted rose it will usually be worse on own root (especially where winter kill is a problem). Many northerners go with grafted simply because they need the extra oomph that it supplies a new rose during its first few years.....I really like my Queen of Sweden. It is grafted and has done very well over winter in it's more northerly placement. Because of its exposure to the winter elements, I purposefully went with grafted just in case it proved more tender then reported. So far so good....When it blooms in the spring, it will be so beautiful it will blow you away. Repeat is sporatic after that, but with our summer temperatures, I'm fine with not having to deadhead in 100 degree heat......Good luck. She's a good choice.....Maryl

I got a couple of bare root own-roots from DA directly, 'Princess Alexandra Of Kent', and 'Munstead Wood'. Both were TINY. I've gotten bare root own-roots from J&P back before they went bankrupt, ('Jubilee Celebration) and they were much larger.

PAOK:
{{gwi:315507}}
I ended up having to cut off that largest cane in the back, it was dead.

MW was about 1/4th the size of PAOK, two tiny toothpick-sized canes. I didn't bother taking a photo of it because I thought it would die.

To be fair, they were however very well rooted, and the roots were fresh and healthy. And size probably varies by cultivar--QOS may create a larger own-root faster than the ones I got. Both have grown well, and are healthy and in bloom today.

Based only on that experience, I would try RU instead, HOWEVER, take my comments with a big hunk of salt. Perhaps DA was just about out of PAOK and MW, so I got what they had, two dinky ones. YMMV. I have gotten large grafted roses from DA in the past. They have been a good vendor, I'm not saying they were bad, just stating the facts of a single purchase.

Hi Sarabell

Welcome to another Nebraskan gardener on GW! I totally agree that it would be best to buy your plants from Roses Unlimited for several reasons. First, RU has very substantial gallon-sized potted plants and own root are generally a better bet for our cold zone. Queen of Sweden grows well in my Lincoln yard on own roots. Austins don't tend to die to the ground for me, but in the early years they can get a fair bit of winter kill and you may need to trim them back in the spring to a foot or two. My two QoS bushes are quite tall (well over 6 feet) and narrow - maybe 2 feet or a little more wide.

Second, I've had some of the problems Hoovb has mentioned from David Austin in their bareroots (grafted or ownroot). Even though Dr. Huey grows well in our alkaline soil, the plants from David Austin direct have a higher than average fail/death rate for me, and the last one I got from them (Munstead Wood) arrived bone dry and crunchy.

Third reason, whenever possible I like to support our independent and smaller rose companies that sell quality products. We just lost Vintage Roses this year, and I like to do everything I can to contribute to the ongoing success of the great companies we have left. With the international craze for DA roses, that company isn't in any serious risk for the foreseeable future. Besides, Pat Henry at Roses Unlimited is such a lovely person and very helpful in discussing rose options with you if you need that personal touch.

Finally, since you're in Nebraska, we could talk about adding your roses to a bulk order that Roses Unlimited offers that cuts half off the price of shipping. A rose buddy in Omaha and I have done this for several years to make up the 45 or so roses required for a bulk order, and with Vintage sadly out of commission, that shouldn't be a problem for a group spring RU order. I'm in Lincoln and would probably have them shipped here if you're interested, and then you could pop over and pick them up at an agreed-upon time when convenient in spring. If you're interested, feel free to email me privately at my GW email address (I think I have that enabled), and be patient as I only check that email address maybe once a month.

Cynthia

RU is one of my very favorite sellers. Absolutely GORGEOUS well tended roses and choice size. Usually mine come blooming!
Susan

My Queen of Sweden purchased from RU is just two years old and is topping over seven feet tall.
It is own root.

Hey just wondering what are the ordering&shipping dates for RU? I was looking at their site and couldn't find that info?
-Lyna

Thank you all so much for all the input! I will go with RU, then, sounds like the best choice for me now.

Cynthia, I'm so glad you responded! I've been a member here for a few years, but mostly only a lurker. I've been getting more interested in roses this last year, so I've been lurking in this forum more and more, and I find your posts so helpful!

I am in Omaha (Elkhorn area, so not real far from Lincoln), and would love to think about a group order. I will email you soon. Thanks so much!

Sounds good, Sarabell, and glad you find my posts helpful! It's always nice to hear from rose growers right in our own areas. Good to hear from you on the forum directly instead of only lurking, and I'll try to remember to check my email within a week or so. Drop me a gentle reminder here if you don't hear from me within a reasonable time. No rush, as we wouldn't receive the order till April, but Pat tends to run short on some of the more unusual items in the fall, so I'll probably start thinking about an order once the weather cools in October.

Lyna, I think RU ships to appropriate zones year round, like yours presumably, but you should check with Pat directly to be sure. Their roses are potted in gallon pots, so they don't have the distinct seasons like the bareroot companies do. I presume they do most of their shipping on a Monday to minimize time in transit, like many rose companies, but I can't be sure on that.

Cynthia

Cynthia

RU is very picky about not sending out plants too early. My last frost date is usually around Apr. 15-20, but RU won't send me an order any earlier than May 15-20. I guess they want to make real sure that they won't have to replace a rose damaged by a freak late freeze.

Kate

I think RU is a good choice. I looked at QOS at a local nursery, who gets their Austins directly from D.A inTexas...every one of them was heavily virused. In fact, most of the D.A. roses are virused there. My Jubilee Celebration shows mild patterning on a leaf here and there, but is still a vigorous bloom machine...so who knows if it really matters...but if I had a choice I would rather it was RMV-free.

Good luck, it's really a lovely rose in person, and the leaves are so dark they almost have a bluish tinge.