I don't think bareroots are any more work. Well, Palatine's require a bigger hole, but they're a bigger bush too so the extra work is worth it. Potted roses that are grafted are actually the most work for me as I like to bury the graft several inches deep which means a big hole and trying to get soil over canes that have leaves and thorns that are harder to see.

If you're thinking about buying them now, then skip the bareroots. They don't do as well when planted this late and require a lot more babying. If you plant bareroots earlier in spring then they don't need much. I've had so much rain that I didn't even bother to mound them this year.

This year I did a lot of experimenting I planted cheap $3 bodybag roses, expensive nursery bareroots, lowe's container roses, and then some $20 container roses.

So far the results have been mixed. Though 3 of the $3 bodybag roses did not make it. Almost has convinced me to never go that route again. But by golly 2 of those cheap bodybag roses have just taken off and look terrific. So for spending $15 dollars (5 x $3). Did get 2 really good plants that look great.

As for the others it's too soon to tell.
thanks for a good question!
gbebeh

Also, as stated above, bareroots can dry out if planted when it's too hot. They're best planted in early spring.

In addition, many times I've bought a potted plant and when I took it out of the pot, all the dirt fell out so I was left with a bareroot anyway. I guess many potted plants are bareroots stuck in a pot of dirt and immediately shipped away. Some would say I need to be more carefull removing the rose. My response is it's still a bareroot. Better to know in advance so I can treat it as such.

Ingrid

But, this is usually not the case, so for a rose that I really want, I will buy it in whatever form that is available. I am buying a lot less on Dr. Huey these days, only 1 last year (and it promptly croaked), 2 this year.

Some roses do very poorly as own roots when conditions are less than ideal. And a grafted rose will usualy go own root if planted with the bud union several inches down.

The predominance of own root suppliers has less to do with which is better than with the fact that a nursery supplying grafted roses requires a much bigger investment. Hence the many small nurseries here.

That being said... I HATE bare roots... I hate soaking them with the cats trying to drink the water... I hate trying to find a pot to fit the roots... I hate checking them everyday hoping they aren't going to die... (higher risk with Hortico than J&P etc...) and once they are all leafed out and blooming then they are officially a container rose, and then I like em... :)

But, I must say, I got absolutely wonderful plants from Chamblee's although shipping price was a murder. Not as bad as getting a few bands or 3 potless ownroots from the west cost, but still it was high. Cost of bareroots shipping has been always more sensible.

That said, I rarely buy any container roses any more. That is because every single nursery around here, from the big box stores down to the expensive snooty plant places, all carry roses on inferior root systems. I think they are #1 1/2 grade roses or less. They look fine on the outside, but once planted it takes them around 3 years to catch up to the size of a rose ordered from Pickering or DA. And also, all these places carry many roses that do not do well around here. What they stock is dictated by their vendors. There are not any "rose people" on staff to put any interest in their selection.