Has anyone grown any of these roses as "own root" specimens? Sometimes own roots perform as well as grafted, and sometimes not. I'm very curious about this development.

Kathy

I am curious too since own root roses are not available for us here? As far as I know, not one nursery offers own root roses in the UK? I often wonder why, given the length of time in fields and rotation issues. (although the general reason seems to be the absolute reliability of budding roses on a strong stock). I predict we will be seeing more own root though as budding is a disappearing skill here in the UK - ardous, back-breaking, low-paid.

I wonder if own root roses are grown from seed and not from cuttings taken from a grafted plant? Other nurseries that I know of are also offering own root roses. If a grafted plant has RMV - the cuttings will also have it as well. A grafted plant is like having an instant garden - it grows big fast...an own root rose can take years to get establish.

well yes and no, Jimmy. A grafted rose seems to be a more instant deal but only because it has spent a couple of years growing in someone elses fields. When own root roses are the same actual age as a grafted rose, they are just as big and have often established even better - I wish this option was more available for us in the UK - postage costs would presumably be much less too.

Chamblees Roses (located in the same city as the David Austin Roses US Headquarters, Tyler), has been offering a number of Austin roses as rooted cuttings for some time; they presently offer around 40 different ones for $11.95 plus shipping. Two of the varieties that they are now selling are on the list of 10 above and earlier, there were 2 more from this list. The plants are considerably smaller than a 2 year old grafted plant, but there can be more than one, sometimes up to 5 plants in a single one gallon pot. I have grown Austin roses on their own roots for over a decade and know that almost all do as well as or perhaps even better than those on rootstock-one exception was Ellen, now an obscure variety. Own root plants are said to be longer lived than grafted plants, which, in my experience, can begin to decline after 12 to 15 years.

Jumbojimmy: when some companies, such as Pickering Nurseries of Ontario, Canada, graft their roses onto Rose multiflora rootstock, they start their rootstock plants from seed rather than cuttings, as this ensures that there is almost no chance of rose virus in the rootstock plants. It would be impossible to start own root plants this way, as the seedlings resulting from seed collected from the desired variety, would not resemble the original variety at all; each plant would have a different combination of genes from the parent plant, because the parent plant is not genetically stable.

I have Golden Celebration, Abraham Darby, Carding Mill, The Generous Gardener, Strawberry Hill, Scepter'd Isle, Perdita, Crown Princess Margereta and Carding Mill own root. The Austins I have own root have done well.

Can anyone advise me as to whether I should order own-root or grafted roses in zone 6b? The main concern is how they get thru the cold winters. So I guess own-root is the way to go but I'm not patient enough to wait years for the rose bush to get established. What size can I expect the own-roots to get, and will it take forever? How do they do in my zone?

Thanks for any info.

I have a WS2K grafted and an own-root. The own-root is much smaller, though it has a better shape, not so octopus-like.

view1ny, a viable option is to get a grafted rose, but bury the bud union deep, 4-6"(?) below the surface. This protects the scion from the cold. A cold-climate person will be better able to help determine the right depth for your particular climate.

I have lots of own-root English Roses in my garden, all of them performing wonderfully.
Also, I am lucky to grow own-root English Roses offered by David Austin, Texas. All 10 varieties.
First of all, I was more than surprised to see the size of these own-roots. They were humongous, not even a bit smaller than grafted plants. The root systems were gigantic, very well developed.
I planted them this spring and they've grown nicely. In my opinion, they perform just as good as grafted roses.
Marina

This is a good development.
I grow three Austin varieties own-root in my garden and they do very well for me here ... 'Heritage' (two of them), 'Golden Celebration' (one), & 'Pretty Jessica' (two of them).
'Heritage' is especially happy on its own roots.

Randy

view1ny--it really shouldn't make much difference in your Zone 6b. I grow both types in my Zone 6, making sure all grafts are planted a couple inches below the soil surface, and I don't do any particular winter protection, other than letting my neighbors' leaves from their oak trees blow (somewhat haphazardly) over my rose beds.

Kate

Like Kate, I also grow both grafted and own root roses (I'm in zone 5) and they both do well, as long as I plant the grafted rose with the graft 3-4 inches below ground level. The own root take longer to catch up, but usually do very well. The deeply planted grafted roses actually become 'own-root' as they develop roots above the graft. If I dig an established grafted rose up to move it or because I don't care for it, I see lots of new feeder roots above the graft.

I wonder if own root roses are grown from seed and not from cuttings taken from a grafted plant?

The only roses that come true from seed are rose species. All of the rest (including all the way to gallicas with particular names, such as Duc de Guiche or Tuscany Superb) are each very specific collections of rose genes. The moment you sow seeds from them you're growing roses that aren't the named varieties you started with. Only when you're working with species can you plant seeds that will come true.

Consequently if Austin is selling own root roses they're growing those own roots from cuttings of some sort.

This is true whenever you're discussing woody plants. If you want to grow Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, you must take cuttings from a Cabernet Sauvignon grape vine. If you want to grow Cox Orange Pippin apple trees you must take cuttings from a Cox Orange Pippin apple tree. If you instead plant seeds what you'll raise won't be the same thing.

Campanula, I'd think your lack of own root roses in Britain is more likely due to your relative lack of heat. Rooting cuttings requires heat to produce them efficiently and quickly. Colder climates aren't as efficient without artificial heat which is expensive. Own root plants can often take longer to reach garden size in colder areas also, hence my suggestions to grow them in five gallon cans for their first season where the roots are more often warmer to push growth. For example, here, under mist, cuttings of very many roses can root in seven to ten days. That's when day time temps are in the 90 degree F range and nights remain in the 70s. Our winter, which is probably much less severe than yours, cuttings can take three to four months to callous and form roots.

The more successful own root producers here are in areas where long periods of high heat are the norm. The largest supply controlled bottom heat to speed things along. I've heard that one American producer heated greenhouses with propane at a cost of over $5,000 for the winter to maintain blooming stock for the Holiday season. It takes a lot of sales to support that kind of expense.

I thought I saw on one of the forums here earlier this year that Austin was changing something about their agreements permitting other US nurseries to sell their roses?