Why did budding become the foundation of rose production for decades, and why is the market now once again turning towards own-root roses? On this page we guide you through the history of the rose trade: from the birth of modern varieties to bare-root logistics and the online era. You will discover why the budding union is a horticultural “weak point”, and what this means for you in your garden. On what basis do you choose your roses?
How did roses change from being the closely guarded treasures of castle gardens to becoming the favourite flowers of garden centres and home gardens? Why did growers start budding them, and why are they now returning to own-root roses?
A rose bush carries not only flowers, but history as well. We show the path that led to the birth of modern roses, the reasons behind the changes in cultivation techniques, and why it is still important for you today to know from what – and how – a rose becomes what it is.
The first documented rose trade dates back to the 17th–18th centuries, when rose breeding and collecting was no longer a privilege of the nobility alone, but was becoming increasingly accessible to the middle classes as well. In Europe it was first in France and England that nurseries emerged where roses were propagated specifically for sale.
This was the year the world’s first officially recognised hybrid tea rose, ‘La France’, appeared. It not only introduced a new flower form and fragrance, but also launched a completely new era in commercial rose production. From then on the rose became not only an ornamental plant, but a mass-market product – a whole network of nurseries, breeders and gardeners grew up around it.
Roses began to be sold as ornamental garden plants at markets in larger towns, first in pots and later as bare-root plants. Field growing was the norm, and the plants were often sold by itinerant gardeners or nursery hands at fairs and markets.
By the mid-19th century a seasonal cycle of shipping and sales had evolved: lifting in autumn, transport in winter, planting in spring. By the second half of the 19th century roses had become a mass-produced, marketable commodity. From then on it was not only about beauty, but also about how to produce them efficiently, cheaply and in a transportable form – and how to get them to the customer.
The budding union, where the bud of the cultivated rose joins the rootstock, is sensitive and vulnerable. This part:
The different genetics of root and shoot can cause long-term biological imbalance, especially in older plants. Some varieties tend to “detach” from the rootstock after a number of years.
Many gardeners today try to protect the cultivated part by planting the budding union below soil level. But this is more than protection: if the cultivated part develops its own roots, the plant returns to an “own-root” state.
This is a conscious cultivation decision: the rose switches to its own roots and becomes independent of the rootstock.
In fact, it can also be seen as a form of retraining:
In recent decades rose production and trade have been transformed from the ground up. The once dominant budded rose is facing more and more challenges – as a result of market, social and technological change.
Modern technology has made it possible to propagate own-root roses reliably and in high volumes.
The budded rose, which is economical only in large, variety-specific quantities and requires a great deal of manual work, fits less and less with the needs of today’s ornamental plant market. Own-root roses, on the other hand, are easier to grow, simpler for the end user and more flexible in distribution. Today the rose market recognises them as a reform product – not as a step backwards, but as a response to the challenges of our time.
When we say that “the age of the budded rose is fading”, we are not questioning the professional value of budding. The point rather is that the business model of the budded (grafted/budded onto rootstock), typically bare-root rose is finding it increasingly difficult, across several sales channels, to meet today’s expectations for flexibility, logistics and user experience. At the same time, the own-root (mostly container-grown) rose is in many situations easier to plan with, delivers more stable quality and carries fewer risks for the buyer.
As modern roses spread widely, from the end of the 19th century roses became a genuine mass-market product. At that time budding was the best tool for this, because it:
This system worked best when relatively few varieties were produced in large series and trade operated mainly in an offline, strongly seasonal mode.
Budding is a high-quality technique, but it is labour intensive and in several respects “dependent on manual work”. Today this is an increasing constraint:
The consequence: budding can still be efficient for very large, uniform batches, but in many market channels today, this is no longer the production logic that is rewarded.
Online sales and fast, order-driven fulfilment favour product formats that are flexible to handle. For bare-root plants tied to the dormant season, the sales window is often narrow, and longer storage can entail quality risks (water loss, root stress, general decline).
By contrast, the container model is often saleable over a much longer period, and can be better aligned with shipping patterns. This is particularly important where customers do not buy within a single “season window”, but at the moment they make their decision.
The budding union (the junction of rootstock and cultivated part) is a biologically and physically sensitive connection. In practice, several kinds of problems can converge at this single point:
This is not a “fault” of budding, but a practical reality of the technique: more risk and more tasks are passed on to the end user.
The rise of own-root roses is not a fashion trend, but a natural fit with today’s conditions:
From the producer’s point of view:
From the user’s point of view:
Budded roses are still justified and competitive in certain situations: for large, uniform batches, under specific soil and climate conditions, or where maintenance is professional and care routines are strictly followed. The essence of the change is therefore not a technical verdict, but a shift in market emphasis.
In summary: own-root roses come to the fore where the market rewards flexibility, longer saleability periods, more stable condition at delivery and a user-friendly experience. This is not a step backwards, but a modern answer to today’s challenges.
We will help you see clearly which solution is best for your garden and your goals.
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