Lily, I grow both own-root and grafted, depending on what I can get and who carries it. The grafted get a faster start, and if I bury the graft 4" down, they seem to do well for years. The own-root take longer to establish, but the more tender roses seem to have increased hardiness when grown on their own-roots. My favorite grafted rose sources are Palatine and David Austin Roses. Palatine's roses come with HUGE root systems and take off very quickly. Your soil sounds wonderful!

It's not simply a matter of own-root vs grafted. There is a fairly standard 'grafted' package, and another very standard 'own-root' package. Any one of the parts of those packages can be a yea or a nay.

The Grafted Package
two year old roses (rootstock is 3)
field grown
shipped bareroot (dormant)
planted late winter
generally from colder climates
more vigorous growth

The Own-Root Package
usually between 6 to 12 months old
greenhouse grown
shipped potted (active growth)
planted after danger of hard frost
generally from warmer climates
least vigorous growth

For you, the biggest difference is going to be that the own-root roses are going to be much smaller when they arrive and are going to take time and babying to mature. There is also the issue that the warm climate nurseries are not necessarily reliable with their advice for colder climates. However, that isn't a problem so long as you double-check information here.

some people say, also, that with some roses, the own-root rose will eventually catch up with the grafted one. I'm not sure if this is true.

and in certain climates I know some people prefer grafted, and even specifically a particular rootstock. (there are like 2 or 3 that people graft on...)

You can also buy ownroot 2 gallon (from Antique Rose Emporium) and 1 gallon (from Roses Unlimited), so that you're not starting with a tiny band that has to be babied. If you start with ownroot bands, you can pot them up to a larger pot, and they're pretty easy to care for that way and get them going before putting them in the ground.

I'm sure more experienced people than me will give you a more thorough answer. :)

This is a complicated issue. It is no wonder you are confused.

It varies according to the variety. Some roses are weak growers, and need the strength of a robust rootstock to enable them to perform. You see this mostly with some (not all) of the HTs. It is my experience that robust own root roses do catch up with grafted roses, but that weak growers do not.

Growers in Florida have a nematode in their soil which attacks some rose varieties. Some do fine on their own roots, but others need to be grown on a particular rootstock (Fortuniana) to withstand the nematodes.

Roses in cold climates are not really hardier on their own roots. What happens is that the cold can kill off the top growth of a rose while the root protected by the soil survives. If it is on its own roots, it has the potential of growing back true to type. If it is grafted, you will get the rootstock, not the rose you selected.

One important issue is virus. Rose mosaic virus (RMV) is spread by grafting. If either the parent plant or the rootstock is virused, the new rose will be virused. Similarly, if you take a cutting from a virused plant and grow it on its own roots, that new rose will also be virused. Some people think that own root roses are less likely to be virused. This can be true, but only if the parent plant was clean.

It is thought that healthy own root roses will probably live longer than grafted roses, because grafted roses can build up scar tissue at the graft and eventually fail. But a grafted rose can easily live twenty or thirty years, and no doubt longer. One member on the Roses forum mentioned having some grafted roses that were at least forty years old. I personally suspect that grafted roses will not live as long as some of Jaqueline3's hundred year old teas and chinas, but then most own-root roses don't get a chance to live that long either. Her garden stayed in the same family. If you sell your house, expect the new owners to replace your garden with their own. For this reason, longevity may not be an issue for you. I kinda like the idea of roses that outlive me (and I plan to be here a long time), but that is my romantic streak expressing itself.

Rosefolly

Thinking about rootstocks after reading Rosefolly's comment regarding nematodes in Florida, therefore using a specific rootstock, I am considering the horrible problem of rose replant syndrome which is such a pain in the UK. All roses in the UK are grafted and it occurs to me that I am not at all sure what the actual stock plants are. Canina always used to be the chosen stock but I do know of nurseries using R.laxa. Do you think changing the rootstock type if replanting might reduce the cause of replant disorder, kind of like a normal crop rotation? It may certainly be worth actually enquiring what the favoured stock is instead of simply accepting replant disorder. This is a major issue preventing us from experimenting, remaining stuck with not very good roses since they would be better than none because replacing the duff rose is not easily an option.

lilyfinch, what roses do you want to grow?

Also here's a link to an old thread on rootstocks that I found helpful and have read several times. Maybe it will be of interest to you. It gives some good information on the types of rootstocks available and where they're best used.

Here is a link that might be useful: Old Gardenweb Thread on rootstocks

Let me put one asterisk into Rosefolly's good summary. Grafted roses grown in the USA have a history of virus problems. Those grown elsewhere, much less so. The Canadian grower Pickering grows its multiflora rootstock plants from seed, which reduces virus transmission. I think this is also true of Palatine. US growers grow their Dr. Huey rootstock plants from cuttings, and sometimes the mother plants are virused.

So, given the other advantages of grafting, grafted plants from Pickering or Palatine are probably the best choice for northeastern US growers. An exception might be if you are in a limestone area with alkaline soil, which multiflora rootstock doesn't like. However, pH can be lowered with applications of sulfur.

In zone 6b, I would set the graft just barely under the soil line. This will allow the plant to develop an underground crown of the grafted variety that should expand and not wear out with time as exposed grafts sometimes do.

Otherwise, exposed grafts are OK so long as both the rootstock and the scion are fully hardy in your climate.

@campanula-- Henry Kuska might know whether there is any research about resistance of various European rootstocks to replant disease.

Boy it isn't as cut and dry as i thought! I guess im drawn to grafted because they are bigger right away. I feel like this home will be ours for at least 5 more years, our house is just right for the 2 of us but once children come along we may need more space. So i think the important thing i realized is to buy from a respectable source to try to keep away from virus.
Thanks for your help! I think i may stick with grafted to have quicker results , unless a rose is only available in own root. The hardest part of everything is deciding which roses to pick! I have a running list on my laptop so i can compare .
Harborrose, when i get that list ready ill post so youall can tell me if im choosing well! And i am headed to palantine and pickerings websites to shop around.

Thanks again!! :)