Own root roses have become increasingly popular in recent years for home gardeners looking to grow beautiful and hardy rose bushes. But what exactly are own root roses and what are the benefits of choosing them for your garden? This complete guide will explain everything you need to know about own root roses and where to find the best selections for sale.
What Are Own Root Roses?
If you take rose cuttings and let them grow on their own roots, instead of being grafted onto a different rootstock, you have an own root rose. This means that the rose bush as a whole has the same genes, from the roots to the stems to the leaves to the flowers.
Roses grown on their own roots maintain all their inherent strengths and characteristics because they have not been altered through grafting. Own root propagation allows the rose’s natural defenses hardiness, and form to remain intact.
How Own Root Roses Are Propagated
Nurseries produce own root roses by taking cuttings from selected mother plants and rooting them directly in soil or a hydroponic growing medium. Since they are genetically identical clones of the mother plant, all the cuttings will grow to be the exact same variety with the same qualities.
Once the young plants have roots, they are put in pots and left to grow into strong, mature bushes. Before they can be sold in stores, they spend time building a strong, wide root system.
5 Key Benefits of Own Root Roses
Here are some of the major advantages of choosing own root roses for your garden:
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Own root roses have more energy and better access to nutrients because their root systems are still whole. This makes them stronger and longer-living. Many can thrive for 50+ years with proper care.
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Better cold hardiness: The rose is hardy from the roots up, so it can handle harsh winters and freezing temperatures better than plants that have been grafted.
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True-to-type performance: Without genetic influence from a rootstock, own root roses exhibit the qualities they are supposed to for their variety without deviation.
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No rootstock suckering: Grafted roses often send up shoots from their rootstock that can take over the plant. Own root roses do not have this problem.
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Reliable replanting: If an own root rose dies back, it can be replanted and will grow back the same instead of reverting to a different variety like grafted plants can.
Where to Find Own Root Roses for Sale
The best places to shop for own root roses are online mail order nurseries that specialize in own root propagation. These niche growers pride themselves on offering the healthiest and most vibrant own root rose options. A few top recommended sources include:
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High Country Roses: Family-owned nursery offering a wide selection of own root hybrid teas, floribundas, climbers, shrub roses, and more.
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Edmund’s Roses: Known for their cold-hardy, own root Landscape Rose Collection featuring classic hybrid teas, grandifloras, floribundas, and groundcovers.
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Antique Rose Emporium: Specializes in rare, antique own root roses like Bourbons, Chinas, Teas, and Noisettes dating back hundreds of years.
When reviewing catalogs and websites, look for notes indicating “own root” or “grown on their own roots” to ensure you are getting true own root rose plants. Reputable growers will make it clear through product descriptions.
How to Plant Own Root Roses
Caring for own root roses is similar to planting and tending any other type of rose. Give them plenty of sun, plant them in fertile garden soil enriched with compost, maintain even moisture, and prune for shape and bloom production.
Space plants according to their expected mature size, water deeply after planting, and be sure to mulch around the base to conserve moisture and suppress weeds. As they establish, feed every 6-8 weeks with a balanced rose fertilizer.
With their natural defenses and hardiness, own root roses are generally less prone to diseases and require less intensive care once settled in. Be sure to monitor for pests like aphids and treat any issues promptly.
Enjoy the Benefits in Your Garden
Choosing own root roses can give you an added edge in growing vibrant, thriving, long-lived rose bushes. Consider incorporating them into your own home garden to take advantage of their superb genetics and hardy roots.
With some research and selection care, you can find gorgeous own root rose varieties perfectly suited to your climate and growing conditions. Then you’ll be able to enjoy their beauty and resilience for many seasons to come.
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Own-root roses are roses grown from cuttings taken from stock plants. Unlike grafted roses, the roots of own-root roses are the same variety as their flowering tops.
Heirloom Roses does no budding or grafting at our nursery. Unlike the majority of rose growers in the US. we sell only own-root, virus-free roses. Our roses are first-year cuttings that are grown from a leaf cutting taken from a “mother” or “stock” plant. Own-root roses may be smaller when purchased, but quickly catch up to grafted roses (which are usually sold as two-year-old plants).
A Solution with Benefits
Growers initially began producing own root-roses as a response to the prevalence of Rose Mosaic Virus within the industry. This nasty virus was spread through grafting. Growers found that they could greatly reduce the spread of RMV if they used virus-free stock plants. Soon the industry discovered that roses grown on their own natural roots (and not those of another variety) had other advantages too:
- Own-root roses are more durable than grafted roses since the crown has not been hurt. It’s easy for the cold to damage the bud union of a grafted rose during a harsh winter.
- Because they have their own roots, own-root roses spring back to life after being frozen to the ground. Winter kill is less likely.
- Own-root roses have better shape because they grow new stems from their own roots. Over time, this makes the plant fuller, which boosts its health, bloom, and lifespan.
- Roses that grow from their own roots don’t have rootstock suckers, so more energy goes to the main plant.
One season of growth from an Heirloom Roses cutting: the Hybrid Tea rose on the right (photographed in late summer) was planted in spring from the 6″ band pot size shown.
Own Root vs. Grafted Roses: How to Plant, Pros and Cons, What to Buy
FAQ
Are own root roses better?
Own-root roses can be a better choice for some gardeners, offering advantages like greater longevity, consistent blooms true to the variety, and better resilience in colder climates.
When can I buy bare root roses?
Winter planting usually starts in October, and you can order bare root roses from us for delivery from November to April.
How long do own root roses take to grow?
An own-root rose is grown by rooting a cutting from a stock plant. It is more labor-intensive to produce an own-root rose than it is to produce a grafted rose. Own-root roses will reach maturity in three years.
Is it better to buy bare root roses?
Own root roses tend to live longer because they are grown from a single plant without being grafted. This is especially true in colder climates. Oct 30, 2024.
Why should you consider owning root Roses?
Own root roses have several advantages: They come up from the roots true to variety even if they die to the ground in a harsh winter, making them longer lived. Over 45 varieties of these roses are demonstrated at the Boulder-Dushanbe Teahouse and another 75 varieties have recently been planted at Harlequin’s Gardens.
Where can I buy bare root Roses?
Shop Jackson & Perkins’ bare root roses and find your favorites. They’ll arrive ready to plant in your growing zone, bringing lasting beauty, fragrance, and joy to your garden. Discover a wide selection of bare root roses, cultivated to the highest industry standards. Shop online at Jackson & Perkins today. Guaranteed to grow!.
What are the benefits of own-root Roses?
Own-root roses have increased vigor and bloom. Own-root roses have longer life expectancy. Roses grown from their own roots tend to be very hardy in cold places and stay true to their original type even if they die back in the winter.
Are grafted Roses better than own-root Roses?
All of our roses are grown on their own roots, which means that they are grown directly from cuttings and not grafted onto a different rootstalk. There are several benefits to purchasing own-root roses as compared to grafted roses which are typically sold at large retail outlets. Own-root roses have increased vigor and bloom.
Do you sell root Roses in band pots?
We sell own root roses propagated on site in band pots. We chose band pots for their ability to develop a deep root systems, to save money on shipping for our customers and the ability to produce plants that compete in size with plants from 1 gallon pots.
Do Roses live on their own roots?
Own-root roses have longer life expectancy. In cold climates, roses on their own roots tend to be not only hardier, but also to remain true to the original variety should they die back in winter. The bud union of a grafted rose is the most vulnerable spot to cold and it can be easily damaged in a cold winter.