While roses come in hundreds of species and varieties, there are only two methods of growing them: on their own roots, or grafted onto a rootstock. While proponents of both methods frequently proclaim them to be the one true way, both methods have their good and bad points.
An own-root rose is grown by taking cuttings from an existing rose bush and placing it in potting soil, sand or perlite and keeping it moist so it grows roots from the nodes that are buried (the ‘nodes’ are the lumps on the canes that leaves and flower stems spring from; these are also the spots roots will grow out of) and new leaves and ultimately branches will grow from the nodes above the growing media. Roses grown this way will grow at their own speed; some are vigorous growers and some are very slow and weak growers. Own root roses grow slower than grafted roses at first, as they spend their time creating a strong root system. In year three, however, most of them will match a grafted rose in size and surpass it after that. They tend to be longer lived than grafted roses. An own root rose can be killed by cold right down to the ground, and when it comes back in spring it will still be the rose you bought; Gerry Krueger, who formerly ran Blossoms and Bloomers in Spokane, stated that her Bourbon roses frequently were frozen down to the ground and would come back and bloom that summer anyway. But because of their slower growth at first, own root roses are usually more expensive than grafted ones- the grower has to take care of it for longer at the nursery.
A grafted rose is created by taking a cutting or growth bud from the desired rose, placing it on a rootstock plant so the cambium layers (the green bit right beneath the bark) match, and cutting the top part off the rootstock rose. The grafted bud takes nourishment from the rootstock, creates leaves as if it were still on its own roots, and they grow together. A grafted rose has the advantage of fast growth at first. The most popular root stock rose in America is the climbing ‘Dr. Huey’. Because it’s a climber, it really pushes the rose that has been grafted onto it, and the resultant bush can be sold quickly. Some roses that are weak growers on their own, like the floribunda ‘Angel Face’, are really only practical when grown on a rootstock. I have an older Austin rose that I took a cutting of and planted; it’s at least four years old now and still is less than six inches tall! But the graft is a weak spot; the rootstock can reject the graft just like a human can reject a transplant. If the top of the rose gets frozen down to the graft point, what comes up next spring will be the rootstock- long, arching canes that, if left unpruned, will produce dark red, barely double roses the next year. The rootstock can also produce suckers even when the top part is healthy; those long canes that don’t look quite like the rose you bought that must constantly be ripped off the plant.
While grafted plants work pretty well in warmer parts of the country (although they sucker down there, too), they can be a problem up here in the cold. To prevent losing your grafted roses, dig a hole deeper than you think you need and bury the graft- that swollen lump in the middle of the plant- at least two inches below the soil level. That way the top part of the rose has part of itself protected from the cold, even if it dies to the ground. It has a chance of coming back up from that area. If you’re really lucky, the top part may actually sprout roots and be able to fend for itself should rejection occur.
I prefer to buy own root roses, but I have bought a few grafted ones because that was the only way they were available at the time. I buried the grafts deep, and they are doing fine. But they do sucker, and I don’t always notice the suckers right away. The bush is putting energy into making the suckers that it could use making the rose I want. With our hardpan, it can be difficult to dig a hole deep enough to bury a graft far enough down. But I really would like that six inch tall rose to be bigger!
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