I did an experiment in my own garden, where our soil runs a slightly alkaline 7.3 PH. I planted a rose I knew to be on multiflora (Tiffany)in my partially amended clay soil next to a rose that was on Dr. Huey. From the first year the multiflora grafted rose displayed mild to moderate chlorosis, while my known Dr. Huey grafted rose had none. Whether or not this Chlorotic condition weakened the rose I do not know, but after only 3 years it finally gave up the ghost and died after one of our erratic winters....I've often wondered if own root roses will do much better in Alkaline soil. I've read so often that roses generally prefer a PH in the 6.5 to 6.8 range. I'm assuming that when this fact was established the roses used were own root not grafted. Perhaps someone can explain why own root roses then would work in alkaline soil given their affinity for acidity......Maryl

I'm not TD, but I've grown the rose bush Fortuniana and I've tried to grow roses grafted onto Fortuniana. Fortuniana (the rose) survives here even when the temps get below 0Fahrenheit, albeit with some dieback. The survival of the rootstock (for a decade now) emboldened me to try roses grafted onto that as rootstock. That was the problem. The roots are so strong that they keep pumping through winter, and that means growth of new canes and stems, even though it's freezing and the new canes and stems will die. People I know who are growing roses grafted onto Fortuniana in my zone and colder do serious protection of those roses through winter; this can be as massive as plywood boxes with stuffing (Memphis TN) and other mounding of protections. For Idaho, the question would be, will you have a long enough growing season to make this worthwhile for the rose to grow vigorously to offset the months it spends in serious protected conditions. You could try one rose on Fort and the same rose on other rootstock and see which one works better for you over three or four years.

In my garden with very shallow black clay (1 or 2 inches at most) over huge limestone boulders or chalky caliche I get as many roses as I can on Fortuniana rootstock and feel that the extra expense is well worth it. Some are in the ground where we've built raised beds, but I've been growing others in pots for 12 or 15 years where it's impossible to dig a hole without a jackhammer. And the containers are not all that large. Some only 10 or 12 gallons and some probably 30. The roses on Fortuniana do very well in the pots and it seems they produce more blooms of greater substance and healthier foliage than roses not on Fortuniana. Most of the serious exhibitors here in San Antonio do their own grafting onto Fortuniana and grow some of them in pots and that's where I learned about it. They even graft their minis on Fortuniana. Several very large holes are drilled into the bottom of my pots so the roots go out into the flower beds where the soil has been ammended which makes it deeper, but it's still is not over 4 or 5 in. deep, if that much. If a pot needs to be moved, or the soil refreshed (which might happen every 5 years or so) it doesn't seem to bother the roses to have those roots pulled out of the ground and cut off. They quickly grow more. I'd prefer to grow all the roses in the ground, but since I'm not able to do that they seem very happy in the pots. It's easier for me to keep them well hydrated in pots rather in the ground where the water runs quickly into holes between the rocks and/or evaporates very quickly in our hot summers. They still have to be staked even in pots or they blow over easily. Incidentally, there used to be a link on 'My Page' to pictures of my garden, but that has disappeared. Anyone know why? So I'm putting the link below in case anyone is interested. The rose on the far left in the top photo is Jude the Obscure on Fortuniana roots growing in a fairly small pot. As we say, I hope this helps. Happy rose growing! :-) Here is a link that might be useful: In this part of the garden most of the roses you see are in pots on Fortuniana roots ...

Personally, I recommend going own root. I've found that potting small own root roses in one gallon pots then moving them up to a larger pot, before planting in the ground, gives me a larger plant sooner. My last summer's rooted cuttings overwintered in a cold frame in my unheated greenhouse and repotted into one gallon pots in March are almost full sized plants. It's said that crowding the roots gives a bigger plant sooner. Instant gratification with a grafted rose is not that important to me. I'd rather wait a few months for the own root to catch up.