Why is my own root rose smaller than my grafted rose?Updated 2 months ago
Grafted roses are typically larger in size than own root roses. This happens for two reasons - first, grafted bare root roses are 2 year old plants and own root bare root roses are 1 to 1.5 year old plants. The older the plant, usually the larger the size because it's been given more growing time before it's harvested. Second, the standardized ANSI grading system is different for grafted rose and own root rose categories. Own root roses are graded in the "deciduous shrubs" category (section 3) and not as roses in the "roses" category (section 6) using the ANSI grading standards and may have canes that are smaller than their grafted rose siblings of the same grade. They do not have the same requirements for cane diameter or height as grafted roses. Grade 1 own root roses from our collection will have a minimum of three canes with no specified diameter or height measurement. Bare root roses that are imported from Canada or other countries also may be labeled as Grade 1, but look smaller in size than their U.S. counterparts because the grading standards are different.
Roses of the different varieties can be labeled Grade 1 while also being physically different sizes. Just like the body shape & size of people vary so do the sizes of roses. Some people have longer torsos and shorter legs or longer arms and feet but we would argue we are all Grade 1 humans, we just come in different shapes & sizes that make us all unique. Some roses have longer canes with a wider spread. Some have thinner canes with more thorns. Some are taller and some are broader. The size of a bare root rose will reflect the individual characteristics of the rose variety but all adhere to the ANSI grading standards. This is one area of rose growing where size doesn’t always matter as a bare root rose that is "smaller" will grow to be full size rose just like its "larger" counterparts.
Learn more about sizing and grading in our blog posts How to Choose A Bare Root Rose Grade and Q & A with Star® Roses and Plants: A Guide to Own Root Rose Grading.