I recently received four bare root roses, which I had ordered from a major online source. One of them looked really great with three big, healthy canes and it already had a significant basal break. None of the other three roses were this pretty. One had 2 canes 3/16. One had 1 large cane and 1 small cane. The last had 2 large canes. They are all in the ground and I think they are going to be fine, but I wondered if they were really Grade 1 roses.
I looked online for a definition of “grade 1 rose.”
I found: “3 or more canes >5/16 inch.”
Is there a generally accepted definition for “grade 1 Rose?
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Yes, there is. However, not every variety will generate wood of that gauge. What is “Grade 1” for a horse of a variety will be much heavier, much larger than a “Grade 1” of a thinner, weaker grower. There are also Grade 1.5 and Grade 2 and Springhill, which used to be the retail outlet for Week’s Roses sold what they called “Husky Grade 1” plants which were real monsters. Your descriptions seem to indicate you may have been sent a Grade 1, a 1.5 and perhaps a #2. If you’re concerned about having received the quality you paid for, I’d suggest contacting the source with photos and asking for an adjustment.
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Thanks Roseseek.
I did send an email with photos and description similar to what I wrote above. Their answer was “These are all #1 grade roses we received from our grower.” The tags on the plants show they came from Weeks and Star growers. I think I’ll phone them and politely ask for their grading criteria.
With regard to your mention of Springhill’s “monster” plants. I went to their website, and they still offer some varieties as “jumbo,” far $74.99.
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