Subject: How 2 winter roses in Zone 2?

From: [email-masked] (Only Jules)
Date: 15 Mar 1995 08:43:34 -0500

What is the best way to keep roses alive over winter? (This year we only
had -30 as our low.)  I've buried one in the garden, put a cone and leaves
over another, and left a shrub to the elements.  (Obviously a beginner).

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From: [email-masked] (John Woodworth)
Date: Wed, 15 Mar 1995 11:20:40

In article <[email-masked]> [email-masked] (Only Jules) writes:
>From: [email-masked] (Only Jules)
>Subject: How 2 winter roses in Zone 2?
>Date: 15 Mar 1995 08:43:34 -0500

>over another, and left a shrub to the elements.  (Obviously a beginner).

I recommend buying hardy roses that require no special care. I think rugosas 
old roses and many sepcies roses are hardy through zone 2. Canada has done a 
lot of neat work with its Explorer series roses. I have had NO dieback on any 
of these in zone 4.

If you have your heart set on hybrid teas, wussy David Austins or 
floribundas, I would NOT recommend cones. They may protect roses in zones 6 
and "down," but won't do a thing for you. The best bet for these is to *bury* 
them using the Minnesota tip method (dig a trench from the base of the plant 
outwards, bend the plant into it, cover with soil and lots of mulch). I found 
it too much work. 

I used to do this for a couple of years, but decided to let winter's natural 
selection finish off the tender ones that couldn't make it. Surprisingly, many 
of my floribundas are root hardy without protection ( Iceberg, Margaret 
Merrill)--they die back to the ground, but by june are 3-4 feet tall. 

John

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"Imitation is the sincerest form of parody."

                         Richard Corliss
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