Chamblee's.

I would say Heirloom Roses gallon size is the biggest own root plant I've ever received through the mail. In second place is Roses Unlimited for sure. If you are interested in David Austins, I have heard that the few own root plants they offer on the David Austin site site are pretty big.

Jessica

Not to disagree with anyone, but I just posted a photo on my thread entitled "delivery day" showing Chamblees plants next to Roses Unlimited's plants. They are both wonderful nurseries, but RU's plants are definitely larger. I'll just post a photo here as well

As far as I'm concerned and I have ordered for 20 years They all grow at the same rate in the first year. The only difference is the variety. Some are more vigorous than other varieties and they will grow the fastest.

Now I will agree with Patty on that, if you order from any of these nurseries they will be healthy plants and at the end of the season they probably will be around the same size. Every plant I've gotten from these 3 nurseries has been a picture of perfect health for me & all have grown very quickly.

Forget about size of plant, what you should worry about is size of root system. I've received some Heirloom Roses gallon plants that had more dirt with no roots in it than dirt that had roots in it. You can take a tiny band and shove it in a gallon of dirt and sell it as a gallon sized plant - but alas it is still really a band sized root system. If the plant has a good enough root system, even if severely pruned to fit the shipping box, the plant will try to grow back quickly to its old size to maintain the balance between the hormones that push for root growth and those that push for top growth.

That said, my vote goes to Antique Rose Emporium. The plants I got from them this year were huge and upon taking them out of the 2 gallon pots to plant in the ground, saw plenty of roots.

Biggest I have ever received is actually from the Antique Rose Emporium. But I have never ordered gallon sized pots from anyone. Roses Unlimited is decent sized, David Austin America has always sent me nice sized plants with lots of roots on bare root, just tried their 2 qt potted plants and they were a decent size as well. Chamblees I have been hit or miss on, I have gotten some good sized plants and some that were barely more then a band.

The recently posted own-roots from coolroses.com looked huge and vigorous. They went to a poster in Mn! http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/3815963/cool-roses-arrived-and-are-huge?n=17

Something to keep in mind -- bigger plants are more expensive to ship. I understand that your growing season is short, but I've had great success pushing growth from small bands by potting them up before planting them in the garden. I usually receive bands beginning in April and running through June. They are transplanted into 1- or 2-gal containers with my own potting mix (3 gallons peat moss, 1 gallon Bovung dehydrated manure, 1 gallon vermiculite, 1 gallon perlite, and 3 cups Espoma Garden Tone), set out in full-sun, and kept watered through the Summer. By the end of Summer, they're bigger than typical gallon-sized roses, and they go in the ground by early September.

:-)

~Christopher

I read that often but what makes a tiny band grow faster in a pot than in the ground? I'm not sure if we know for a fact that this is the case actually, do we have proof that a band will always grow faster in a pot at first than in the ground immediately?

There are a few things that allow for faster growth in pots......

1) No root competition.

2) Nutrient-rich potting mix which is light yet moisture-retentive, allowing for faster root development.

3) Keeping them in black nursery pots above ground allows for faster warming of their roots, further encouraging growth.

4) To keep them moist, I can let pots soak in a bucket of water for a bit, making sure that the roots don't dry out.


I've planted a handful of bands directly into the ground, and without exception, they lagged behind those potted up first by a year's worth of growth. In other words, bands planted directly here in 2014 are now the same size as those which arrived in 2015 and were kept in pots. I make this comparison between roses of similar type. I've posted in several threads showing pictures of growth, before and after.

:-)

~Christopher

No one here has mentioned Palatine. They sent me huge bare roots!

I agree with Christopher, potting seems to help bands get a good head start, which I think is necessary for those little guys. In a pot I can give them more TLC than the ones in the ground get. They're easier to protect from storms, wind, drought or searing heat. I can also keep a better eye on them for problems so I can nip them in the bud.

Does Palantine sell own roots? Thought theirs are grafted on multiflora.

They are grafted, but often that is what is really needed in the north.

Interesting points Christopher ...

1) - if you have no root competition from other shrubs or trees then this point does not apply
2)
- if the soil is broken up to make it loose at all that seems to be
sufficient based on performance of my bands planted in soil that was
tilled up and amended with peat moss and compost

3) - an irrelevant point if the bands arrive when the ground temperature has already gotten up

4)
- well on this point, all you have to do is make sure they are well
watered. You will always lose less water in ground than in a black pot
or in any pot of any color. So if all the above hold true for me,
does that mean there will be no benefit of growing the band in a pot
first? That is probably the case because last year I planted a bunch of
new bands in spring and they all got pretty huge in one year with
Rosarium Uetersen and Teasing Georgia hitting 4 feet wide and 7 feet
tall each and the other roses getting up to 18 inches tall.

1) Only by starting with a completely blank slate will there be no root competition. Tree roots go REALLY far.

2) Vermiculite is in my mix because it's been shown to stimulate root growth.

3) You may be surprised at how much cooler it is just a few inches below the soil than would be the soil in a black pot. Think of when it's recommended to plant some veggies with respect to soil temperature. If I get bands in April, keeping them potted means their roots will be warmer than those in the ground, and will give a jump start on growth.

4) Yes, pots drain faster than the ground, but in the ground, water will go away from the roots quickly as well, spreading wide and seeping below the roots.


Long story short, for me, potting them up in my mix has always resulted in bands growing faster than any I planted directly in the ground at the same time. The pics below show "Thomasville Old Gold" about three months after arriving as a tiny 3" rooted stem, potted in a 2-gal container.

Hi Christopher, I've been trying to do the same with my two bands but I've been keeping them in terra cotta pots and in morning sun only. Our highs are already in the mid-80s and we normally have temps in the 90s from May to September, hitting 100 for a few weeks in July/August. I'm afraid mine will get too hot in black pots and full sun. I've had them for a month and they have barely grown at all. How long before yours really take off?

Mine generally just "sit there" for about two or three weeks before starting any further growth. I think that's how long it takes before roots venture into my potting mix. From then on, as long as they get sun and water, they grow fast.

I understand that you're in a warmer climate than I am. What I do is adapted to my conditions. So getting bands here in April or May means that it's not so hot yet that being in full sun is too much for them. By the time we start getting temperatures above 90, they'll have been growing for two months or so. From what I've come to understand, people in your type of climate often get bands in Autumn, and leave them out in full sun until hot temperatures arrive.

I've often posted the recipe for my "magic mix". I use a 1-gal bucket for mixing everything into a wheelbarrow. One batch is 3 gallons peat moss, 1 gallon Bovung dehydrated manure, 1 gallon vermiculite, 1 gallon perlite, and 3 cups Espoma Organic Garden Tone. I get all of this at Home Depot. Before adding the mix, I line the bottom with a used coffee filter or two, so that the potting mix doesn't spill out of the drainage holes but still allowing water to seep out. After potting each band up, I let it soak in a bucket of water for about fifteen minutes -- dry peat moss takes a while to get wet the first time. I finish with about a half inch of used coffee grounds on top. For me, that last bit is easy, since I collect used coffee grounds from Starbucks daily. That's also where I get the coffee filters for lining the bottom.

:-)

~Christopher

You can get 2 gallon pots from Chamblees. In the past I have been disappointed in some of the 1 gallons I got from them, but this year we ordered 2 gallons and they were huge. Plus many had multiple roses in one pot.

RU does have some great plants too.

Don't you have to have a large order to get the 2 gallon from Chamblees? Their website says in big bold letters that they only ship 1 gallon. Or maybe do you have to have a tax exempt number so they sell it as wholesale?

Springrosemama, I don't recommend terracotta pots for roses. The clay absorbs water and holds it away from the roots. They look like they're damp but the pot is all that's getting the water. I buy my black nursery pots at several of my local nurseries. They usually all carry them and they're usually really cheap.

Beth, that may be true. I ordered for our Rose Society and it was a large order.

I got my black nursery pots from Greenhouse Megastore. Some very tiny bands go in 1gal, but most go right into 2gal. I've re-used them many times. Getting a sleeve of them will go a long way -- and not just for roses. I have my blueberries and strawberries growing out right now in some. They're lightweight, and when I'm not using them, I keep extras stacked in a corner of my enclosed back porch.

:-)

~Christopher

I just called Chamblee's and they will only ship 1 gallon containers regardless of the size of your order. For the 2 gallon ones you'd have to actually pick them up.