There are varying opinions on which is better where. In cold zones it can be an advantage to have own root plants if they die all the way back to the ground over winter because you won't lose your variety when it regrows from the ground up. On a grafted rose if the graft freezes and dies over winter you've lost your variety and there is a possibility that the root stock rose will come up instead. But if you plant your grafted roses with the grafts 4 to 6 inches below the ground that's usually good protection for the graft anyway. So it's rally up to you which you'd prefer. And there are some varieties that you can only find as grafted roses. That's changing but it's a slow process a driven by market demand. Grafted roses will grow and mature faster than own root plants. That's the point of grafting one variety onto another. The root stock variety is usually a very vigorous grower and will cause the grafted variety to grow faster. Own root plants will grow but at a slower pace depending on the variety of rose. There are some varieties that were bred specifically to be grafted and a lot of those varieties will tend to not do very well as own root plants. They are just not very vigorous on their own roots. The problem is it's hard to know which ones those are because for a very long time almost all roses were sold grafted and own root plants were very rare. So roses bred in that time frame may or may not do well on their own roots. For the most part those are hybrid teas that were bred from about 1930 to 1990. That's a lot of rose varieties!

Well, though not all that old - I have them going on 30 years since purchase and my grandparents also grew roses- moving bushes from home to home over approx 50 of their 65 yrs being married. I don’t believe there is an age limit. The big issue is grafted roses require a little more attention to details when planting. Own root once they are old enough to plant - not necessarily when you get them, can just be planted with no thought. But all grafted roses, you have to make sure the bud union is well buried or you will get suckers. I have never had an issue because - well, I make sure the bud union is buried 3-4” and to protect from cold also - absolute minimum of 2-3” in my zone 7 east coast garden. In my early years of growing roses, our winters were colder and we got more snow and I hilled teas, shrubs, etc and wrapped in burlap/stuffed with pine-tags . Climbers were laid over and covered in soil or well hilled, wrapped and stuffed. And of course after spring frosts, everything has to be unhilled and set right again. However, our winters have warmed so much it isn’t as necessary if you select the right rose for the right location in the garden and hardiness zone. Dr Huey is a very common used rootstock - bred in 1914 and and is extremely vigorous though not particularly fungal resistant but that isn’t of concern when using the rootstock. It is a hybrid of the Wichurana lines named after the German botanist Max Ernst Wichura and produced sometime in the mid 1800s. It is a beautiful rose on its own and they are seen across the country in old graveyards, estates and plantations blooming without any assistance with lots of showy dark red blooms. It’s main down fall is its propensity to black spot but yet it seems to overcome that and come back each year. The strong marketing push to own root is one of a labor shortage, lack of skilled budders, and greed. If you can selling a tiny cutting that at the very most is 32 weeks old (from a grower who gives a 5 year warranty) and the rest are at best 16-20 weeks (with little to no warranty) compared to full 2 year olds that have had a full year in the field and then another year+ in the field with its graft —- and sell for the same price - which do you think corporations will demand are grown to help their bottom lines? Do not be afraid of well grown, healthy, well budded/grafted roses. Grafting has been the primary method of rose production which began in the late 1800s with a beautiful but week growing hybrid tea called LaFrance. Grafting it allowed for a much stronger growing plant and it has survived to this day and you can still purchase it. Many of the beautiful old roses full of fragrance just weren’t all that strong on their own roots. And today they are own rooting roses with little to no warranty that may not last you a year or two. No one has ever tested many of these roses - because everything was grafted and the couple of under-stocks were strong so no issue would be expected. Unless you want a particular rose that you can only find as own root, and if you are a beginner gardener and have just started with roses — look for grafted roses from an old established company like Jackson Perkins or go with David Austin who offers both in various types but they offer 5 year warranties.

Matters of scale: Grafted roses: fields are tied up for two years plus time for rather lethal fumigations. Grow rootstock Harvest nodes for grafting Talented propagators? employed by the company or imported. Timing for the rootstock to be right to take the graft or bud Irrigation Two years of irrigation Harvest (wish they would clean the choppers above and below ground), label bag and ship. Is the rootstock used right for all parts of the country? No, but producer doesn't care as his job is to produce plants to sell. And he can do this in bulk. Own root: take cutting root and grow out cutting sell.

mxk3, where abouts are you? I'm in St. Clair Shores! Yes, if you want it too spread you need to plant it deep or layer it. Or both! I have an Apothecary rose that was grafted and I sunk it deep. It's growing EVERYWHERE now, lol!