Well, I don't have any experience with tree roses, but I'd follow the garden center lady's advice and re-pot them and keep them in the garage at night, and when the weather warms up (mid 40's at least?--maybe some tree-rosers here would know how much cold they can take) you can drag them out into the sun during the day, as long as you put them back in the garage if it's going to dip down near freezing at night. They might be too heavy and messy to drag in and out of the house every day--that doesn't seem practical, and I don't think they'll do well without a daily dose of outdoors and sun. I think they'll be OK if they're well-watered and sheltered from freezing temps, from now on, and you can plant them outside in May. Good luck!

I don't think you're in the least bit stupid and of course you'd assume that if these roses were for sale they'd be ready to be planted into the ground. It sounds as though you went through quite a bit of torture to help the roses survive. I've never heard of bringing a tree rose into the house and imagine that the garage would be the better place for them. Can you tell us the names of the roses? Hopefully they will survive but I've never grown a tree rose and am just really writing out of sympathy for you since you're so distraught. I'm sure there are others from your area who will be better able to advise you. Good luck to you.

Ingrid

Sounds like they are just about to break dormancy (when the new leaves are about to emerge). Really not much harm and no foul that I can tell. As long as the canes are still green, then the rose is fine. Take the bags off. They are more likely to cause molding than anything else. Your house is too warm, I would keep them in the cooler garage, with no light, until you can bring them outside.

But, I have to tell you that just because a variety or type of rose is sold at your local , doesn't mean that it will be hardy in your garden. Tree roses (standards) are not reliably hardy in my area, here we pretty much have to grow them in pots and bring them inside for the winter. I don't know if they will survive in your area planted outside in the ground. I will defer to those closer to you.

Calm down, though, if you still have the receipt, you can return them to Costco.

Please take pics so we can see how bad the damage is...

Please take pics so we can see how bad the damage is...

Does Costco have a one year warranty? Did you hold onto your reciept?

Thanks so much!!! for everyone trying to comfort help me...
Evie I will try to take 2 separate pictures per rose tree but first have to give everyone an update I removed the bags just like diane nj said to one of the tree roses almost! seems to have emerged unscathed... the stems are still very full, deep green except for one branch, a parched out/yellowy color that Ive never seen before, what I fear or would describe as freeze burn on it...The other tree rose seems to have suffered much, much more... The branches look a lot browner compared to the light green 2 days ago, I am seeing "freeze burn coloration" in some parts-- the buds have not yet turned to a yuck color at all, though and seem "healthy" but that may change in a few days.... I am very tempted to spray a little bit of warm water to rehydrate it, because it seems so brown, dried out. Evie, Im going to try to get a pic out for you to look at but its already 9:40 p.m. so you may not be up by the time I send it, but would like to know what you think about the damage on the weak rose. The weak rose tree is also leaning so I had to prop it against a wall... I chickened out of leaving it in the garage because it is sooooo cold in there! and pitch black... I originally left a light on, but man, my garage is freezing cold when it got dark, there is also gaps underneath the doors so cold wind does blow through and most garages have a little casement window whereas mine doesn't, so I finally decided to put them into my basement... where it's cool, so hope that won't cause too much stress on the roses...I'm basically trying to ease them into gradual warmth... so that they can eventually be placed by the East side window so that they can receive that sunlight until it gets warmer where they can be placed back outdoors(by Prairie-rose process) Outside is full of deep snow and sheets of ice now... Ingrid my roses are from Jackson & Perkins' Hybrid Tea Rose the Gemini... If I am doing anything that is further endangering them please let me know... Also I have no worries about being able to return them to Costco, but want to save them if at alllllll possibleI treasure a roses life and feel very responsible if I were to kill them.Costco always accepts returns even without a receipt, but that rose would end up in the dumpsterwhich would make me feel even worse. Hugs to you all will try to send pic soon as I can get it out of the camera...!

I'll be up for a long while:)

Bringing them to the basement was a wise idea. Do you have a door in the basement so you don't need to carry the mtoo far?

Being that they're now in pots, are they a larger size then the ones you purchased them in?

We'll talk more later, after we see the pics:)

It should be against the law to sell standards (tree roses) in cold weather states.
For the most part they are annuals for us. There are two bud unions on most tree roses, one where the standard is budded to the root stock and the other where two (on good trees) of the blooming variety are budded to the top of the standard. While the bottom graft is planted under or just on top of the soil, the top graft is very exposed to the elements and the most prone to freeze damage. If the top bud union is killed the tree rose is useless.
I have one tree rose, Polar Joy, which is known to be hardy. Mine is planted in a very large nursery tree pot, probable 40-50 gallons. I move it into my unheated greenhouse for the winter where it gets cold but not so much as to cause any dieback. It remains in there now and is beginning to leaf out.
Your trees may be OK as the temps shouldn't get so cold as to cause separation of the bud unions. The rain, sleet and snow should prevent them from very much freeze damage.
You'll probably cause more damage moving them in and out, transplanting them, as it removes any feeder roots that may have devolped, and trying to help with the warm water bath. At the least they'll be heavily stressed.
I realize they look good in the garden but our growing zones are not good for them. Many die, even in zone 8. Winter care needs are more than most rose growers like to do. Previous attempts and the loss of four of them early in my rose growing days turned me off on them.
Good luck with your attempts to save them.

yes, carl (nod) and to that it should be illegal to sell tree roses to dimwit beginners like myself, sad to say... I just thought ooo, pretty rose picture, AAAAARGH (sad- head bashing!) And thanks so much about sharing about how you are caring for Polar Joy and other concerns...so that if the tree roses survive I'll know what to do next time...

Evie, here is what I started writing to you before my internet shut down on me...

Hi, Evie! I got the pictures but since the only photo-web sharing account I have is for my lovely, sweet little Border Collie Eluane (we belong to the Dog Agility site in Great Britain so it's the only account I have) I stuck the rose photos into the same account...

Here are the photos I took. However it's difficult to get an accurate picture at night, sometimes the Flash will give a little color distortion... the burnt areas are not the nice orangey effect that the camera gives but rather a yellowy more icky/unhealthy look, but the green that you see is the healthy green for the most part... When daylight comes and I bring the roses upstairs (after it's acclimated from the freezing garage to the slight chill/cool of the basement then up to the living room)I'll try to take some daylight pictures... (no there are no doors at all in my basement. But! At least it has a little tiny window to let in natural light.

The first 3 pictures are of the stronger rose tree If you look at the last descriptor in the url it gives an explanation The 2 branches are very sick as you can tell, but the others are actually a very nice green The third pic is of the typical healthy green stem. The stronger rose tree has plenty of those sprouts which is one of the reasons why I was afraid to leave it in that ice cold garage of mine.

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g205/Serena-Eluane/Gardening-1st-timer/stronger-rose_freeze-burn01.jpg

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g205/Serena-Eluane/Gardening-1st-timer/stronger-rose_freeze-burn02.jpg

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g205/Serena-Eluane/Gardening-1st-timer/stronger-rose_sprouting.jpg

The next 3 pictures are of the weaker rose tree It has two branches which are in really bad shape
One of them was out of focus so I retook a second shot. The final shot show 2 very healthy branches and 4 semi healthy with the "freeze burns".

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g205/Serena-Eluane/Gardening-1st-timer/weaker-rose_freeze-burn01.jpg

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g205/Serena-Eluane/Gardening-1st-timer/weaker-rose_freeze-burn02.jpg

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g205/Serena-Eluane/Gardening-1st-timer/weaker-rose_freeze-burn03.jpg

Hi Serena,

First thing I suggest is to call the president of your local rose society and join asap if you can.

http://www.kansascityrosesociety.org/contact.htm

Thanks for the pics. Did the trees have any leaves on them when puchased?

Karl and the others gave great advice.

For now, I'm going to lay back and see what your local consulting rosearian will say for you to do.

I wouldn't stress over it too much, I really think you can save them:)

Hugs,
~Evie

This will make it easier for you:)

Evie, thank you so much for the links...and no, Evie none of the rose trees had any leaves or sprouts on them until I planted them outside (just little red buds that just started peeking out before the ice/snowstorm hit). I am waiting for Sarah and Ken's return call from the Rose Society...I am actually very miserable right now... I took 2 more pictures, but my hopes are fading fast for one of the rose trees... It looks very, very sick and took a pretty big turn for the worse...

The healthier one just has 3 dark areas unlike the multiple "frost-burns" of the weak rose... I circled the areas of big concern and am waiting to see what you and the others think the chances are... I am thinking that it may take a week before you know that a rose has completely died? Please let me know if my feelings are truethorns that are either blackened in color or have turned ash-bone white indicate sickness, and that only healthy thorns have the red hue to them Also any black spots parts of the stem if they are at the top, do they need to be pruned to stop the blackness from spreading and to encourage the green to keep pushing forwardsort of have the superstition that healthy parts help keep the fighting spirit of a plant? Or to stop "gangrene" from spreading like frostbitten animals/humans.

Outside has suddenly shot up in degrees, you don't even have to wear a coat now... with perfectly blue skies and the heavy 2' snow is melting like crazy... I stuck the sick one outside, because I feel that if it has to go, at least it will be surrounded by the beautiful sunlight on its last days...and only the basement in my house is cool, everywhere else I feel except for the pitch black garage would be too hot for the roses...

this has been such a traumatic experience that I am thinking that maybe I should never again grow a rose until I've had 2 years experience just growing regular flowers...and 2 years' lurking long enough on this site.

Here are the latest perhaps final pics which are making me feel very sad and very responsible

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g205/Serena-Eluane/Gardening-1st-timer/more-hopeful-rose.jpg

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g205/Serena-Eluane/Gardening-1st-timer/very-sick-rose.jpg

serenasyh
E-mail me direct and I'll give you instructions on posting pictures on the rose forum.
For now, I've posted these two pictures from your URLs above.
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and this
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I thought this bit of info will help ease your mind until you hear from your local rose society.

Don't be afraid to ask one of the local consulting rosearians to come to your house and look first hand at your plants.

I know from being a member of my local rose society, they will do it for you.

Keep in mind though that the answer above pertained to a rose bush, not a rose tree, being pruned and surviving with only an inch of cane.

Hi, Evie and Karl...Evie, I still haven't yet heard from the rosarians (husband and wife team) that the Kansas City Rose Society referred me to, so maybe they are on vacation? In my continued panic through Sunday I ran back to the garden center to try to get some stakes and velcro ties to help support the roses whenever I would be forced to move them back to the garage or basement.... One question that I was able to resolve was that I have to carefully observe the black spots and leave them until at least May, but if it seems to in any way to spread any further to immediately cut them back... They said there is still hope if they are freeze-burned but it does take as long as 4 weeks to tell for sure.... I am continuing to haunt this site for as much info here as I can to learn about roses. For example, in case I have to cut any die-offs, I went to the pruning link from someone else's post to try to learn how to do it the proper way... I am hoping and hoping that there will be more posts on what to do about tree roses as well, and can only hope that both my rose trees will have survived by then...

Don't stop until someone responds...

As a Master Consulting Rosarian I get lots of rose inquiries. Because I get so many and am on my computer a lot, I respond to these inquiries quickly. Many CRs don't check their computers very often, especially in spring when there is so much to do in the rose beds.
Give them some time. Meanwhile, click on the link below and scroll down to Missouri, to find other CRs from Your area. Send the same inquiry to each of them. You'll get one back I'm sure.

Karl and Evie I tried the phone #, but not the email route so will try the email... If the 2 rose trees survive or even one, I will have to join the cheaper one in Overland Park (where I live) because Eluane's Agility (her club membership, class fees and competition trials will be over $1000 this year for example)... and I found out the main Rose Society of Greater Kansas City is like $150 annually... Main fear is that if both roses don't make it I won't have any roses to join or write about...(sad)... Unlike Eluane who is my first time dog, first time border collie (a breed which is very time demanding, high-energy, very needy dog, not for first-timers) I had beginner's luck. Not so with the beautiful fragile rose, it's like owning 10 border collies! in terms of dedication, time and TLC. But just like with Eluane, I could never ever own any other dog besides a Border Collie, same as I've always dreamed of having just 2 rose trees and 3 rose bushes if I ever! get so lucky...

so if I ask for this emergency help, not sure if many rosarians would be willing to help out / volunteer unless I have a direct affiliation, but did took the risk by calling up the rosarian husband and wife team that I was referred to....so will have to keep going down the list as you suggested, Karl...; if no one responds, I'll have to keep lurking here for all the tips and advice posted (as well as your site's listed advice Karl-smiley face) and hold my breath to see if there is any survivor rose left for me to join a rose society. P.S. on the "wounded" stems, there are still some very red healthy looking buds, so am keeping fingers crossed but dare not keep the trees outside today and yesterday in spite of the new stakes because it is very, very windy outside and don't want it shaking, tramautizing the root anchorage or bud onion supports)

I'm in Independence. It wasn't that cold last weekend to kill your bushes. The wind was the bad thing. What part of Kansas City are you at?
Dawn

Consulting Rosarians are supposed to respond, it doesn't matter if you are a member of any rose society, including the American Rose Society. So, keep trying until you get a response.

And don't despair if these don't work for you, there are plenty of roses that you can grow and that will be fine in your garden. I'm still killing plants, and I've been growing the darned things for 17 years! And I don't even dare try to grow tree roses, too much work for me.

Hi, everyone! great news is that the Rosarian couple were very nice. I actually tried calling them last night but couldn't get through because they had their fax machine on. Then tonight they explained that they couldn't return my call because the number I had left them had been cut off by their answering machine. They too have not grown tree roses because like Karl had feared, rose trees do terrible in Kansas. Stupid me should also have thought far ahead about our tornado problems as well. I didn't think about this issue before the terrible winds this past weekend. Flower2sew, in Overland Park we got hit real bad. There is still debris from knocked over light poles on Hwy 69 from people crashing from the ice... But the snow lasted just one terrible day, it was very thick snow,and we were blasted with both ice and snow at once and in some parts of Overland Park, the cable lines and phone lines were down ...then argh, it shot up to near 60 degree warmth right the following day, then dropped down again the following evening. The rosarian couple agreed that they would never leave out the tree roses at this point because of last weekend's extreme swing of temperature (including this week) but they too felt I really needed to speak to a Master Rosarian, so they gave me the emergency helpline for the Rose Society. The nice rosarian couple I spoke to explained that they themselves have never grown tree roses because of how erratic Kansas weather can be in the spring and they said that the people they know who had rose trees all had either greenhouses or would go to a nursery and "rent" out a space for the winter. In other words they wouldn't know how to advise me on how to keep my roses indoors in my particular situation. They did feel that since my rose trees still have buds sprouting, that keeping them in a completely dark, cold, poorly insulated garage at this point is a question that only a master rosarian could answer. It is a tough call because no sane person/gardener would ever be in the crazy predicament that I am in now... I am doing crazy stuff like lightly spraying my roses with warm water in the morning and when I come home, then again before going to bed to keep them as close to a greenhouse effect and reducing my house temperature from 68 degrees to 65 so that I don't shock the roses when I bring them outside to 58 degree sunshine (but that makes me super cold indoors and I end up having to wear a few layers of clothing in the house and shivering under the covers when I try to sleep LOL). So hopefully I can reach the helpline before I get "outta control" and do more crazy outta control guesswork. Anyway, thank you EVERY One and All for your help and ongoing support! Hugs to each of you... P.S. forgot to say that to me the membership dues for the American Rose Society is very reasonable, and wouldnt have hesitated for a second had I not been so broke from all the training with Eluane and house payments but in due time if I can just make the baby steps and get both trees to survive.

Thanks so much for the update Serena!

It was nice of the rosey couple to give you the Master Rosearian's number. You'll find this person to be VERY dedicated and do everything he can for you. As I said before, he may even come out to your home to see the roses up close:)

Please don't give up and stop blaming yourself.

I live in Florida so in no position to give you advice but I do grow 2 rose trees and I live in the hurricane capital of the world.

Anxious to read your next message once you talk to the MR:)

You are not going to shock your roses moving them from 65 to 58 degrees. at this time of the year they can be placed in an unheated shed or garage even if the temps fall below freezing outdoors. Roses are not all that tender and will take big swings in temperature as long as the low temps don't get too cold, like the lower 20s.
Me thinks you worry too much.
If you want to save money on heating keep the temp down but if you're doing it for the roses, put it back up where you are comfortable.
Yes, I'm a Master Rosarian.

cheers to you Karl, yes, have definitely read to see you are a Master Rosarian and! really enjoyed reading your site too..was just following up on yours and Evie's suggestion that I immediately try to contact the local MRs in my area... thinking that you and Evie suggested it because Kansas had so much weather fluctuations that there may be more rose owners who have injured roses to nurse back to health similar to mine. Plus Costco is suburbia's favorite haunt in Overland Park lol...and 90% of the tree roses were all bought up.

Betsie the MR too was cautious about advising me right away and about whether itd be o.k. to keep my roses in my living room. She said she had to consult with her fellow MRs first but just 3 hours later after my initial call to her, she reverified hers and their thoughts and yours too Karl, that the rose trees will make it, they just need time to recover, that it takes several weeks and that only until leaves come out will I know which part of the rose stems have died and not to prune until everything has leafed out. Betsie also told me that on a few occasions even she will get black frost-burns on her tea roses, but that they do return to full health. On the other hand Betsie expressed immediate concern about the nursery lady's advice about giving the root treatment too soon and with my water spritzing habit. She said root treatment should not be given until leafing occurs and that water on leaves especially attracts insects and disease, that roses hate water on their leaves and that I need to keep even the stems dry other than the normal rains... somewhere I had read that I was supposed to keep the stems moist before they leaf out? but she was quite horrified about that, unless I had somehow miscommunicated... She then gave me a link to an official rose care guide published by Kansas State University

http://www.johnson.ksu.edu/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=572

and warned me that sometimes online information leaves out key details that may be open to my misinterpretation, and she warned against home-remedies that I might find online. She said always stick to University literature and dont stray from that and she said everything will be o.k. She also disagreed with the nursery lady (like you Karl) that in the springtime and if Im worried about wind conditions its actually acceptable to keep the tree roses in the living room and that turning down the heat in the house would not be necessary hee-hee, so from now on I dont have to keep wearing a coat in the house-- Ill just need a normal sweater instead! (lol). Anyway, hugs again, and now can breathe a sigh of relief....

So glad Serena that you were finally able to get hold of a master rosearian in your city:)

I didn't dare to give you any suggestions, I'm not qualified but some are:)

My rose trees have been brought into the house a few times and the temp stayed the same as always, the trees went in my laundry room for a night or 2. I'll need to do it again this Mon and maybe Tues, we have a could front coming through.

I'll also need to bring in my new Nor'East minis I just received last week. Was planning on planting them in the ground but will hold off for another week or so.

I can give you one suggestion though Serena.

When you do join your local Rose Society, you'll find it worth every penny. The networking is the best, everyone has one thing in common, their love for roses. Take notes, don't be afraid to ask questions, they're trained and hold great experience. They know what they're talking about.

You may find that even Master Rosearians have different ways of doing things, such as pruning, etc but do not be confused, they're all right:)

I was lucky enough to make a call to one of my local master rosearians, we struck up a friendship and he's taken me under his wing. I soak in his wisdom and am very thankful to have him as my mentor.

Have fun learning and know that true rose lovers will understand just how excited you can get about these wonderful plants, even fish emulsion...lol

Hee-hee, Evie you must have ESP! LOL! I mentioned the fish skin that a coworker's father used to do that she secondhand told me about, to which Betsie the Master Rosarian, exclaimed "Good Lord who knows where that came from". Hahahaha! but my coworker swears that her father's tea roses were absolutely humongous, heheh and he actually fed them to his rosies raw, like sushi style-lol! Evie, I will be very much looking forward to being here and learning all the fun stuff at this site as well! I actually have to ask Karl to help me learn how to do clippings from this forum. I have problems with my home computer, so am wondering if this is affecting why I can't clip some of the very helpful posts that others have written about... I just can't seem to be able to save any forum clippings. And Karl was so helpful with showing me how to put up my pics here....so am thinking I will have to PM him tomorrow. Anyway, gotta "tuck in" the rosies in my living room to beddy-by and catch some shuteye myself... Yes, will be saving up for the Rose society bit by bit too...ooo, baby roses safe in your home from the cold front, sounds very cozy... (smiley face). Now I follow Weather Channel always-a huge lesson for me; and found out that tomorrow for Overland Park it's supposed to be 68 degrees and then day after tomorrow it's going to crash back down to snow and rain! (shock) but hahaha! Kansas crazy weather is not! going to trick me this time... Hugs to everyone and to our rosies! Whoops just checked but heheh, our snow forecast now has risen to windy thunderstorms at 43 degrees, whereas just earlier today, it was predicting snow so even the Weather Channel can be "tricked" slightly hee-hee! Ah, well...

Hey Serena,

Well, brought my babies in for the night and probably the next two nights as also:)

How are your trees doing?

Did you get hold of Karl?

Will you be making the very popular alfalfa tea for your roses this year like many of us will?

Hi, Evie! Thanks so much for checking on my trees. I'm actually at work, so hopefully my web-desperado browsing won't get me into trouble- hee!hee! They keep web logs on everyone, but I'm desperate to get my rosies back in health! Yes, Karl gave me some very helpful, fantastic advice as to when to start on fertilizers and he does organic gardening as well which is very inspiring and have to soon do a new post on this procedure as well... My rose trees are having 2 full days of sun today and yesterday but the past weekend they had to be kept inside... The buds are continuing to flourish, and the deeper green is returning to both... However I lost a branch on my weaker rose tree to botrytis canker/blight I believe... Do you see that middle circle on the 2nd picture that Karl helped me post? That is the branch I had to "amputate"... The brown kept spreading downwards... My trees also have to recover from the mistake that the nursery lady told me to do... I'm actually not supposed to put the root fertilizer until after they leaf out as Karl and the MR in my area explained. So all that can be done at this point is wait and hope for the best, poor rose trees will have fertilizer-burnt feeder roots... But at least my sick, more weak rose is finally getting 3 branches thick and green now, and both! trees are budding. Hurray! When your lovely rose tree babies start leafing, be sure to send me the piccies so we can celebrate... I will try your fish emulsion as soon as I get all the research compiled at home...but have yet to do the alfalfa tea research... but I have time yet since I only have buds and no leafing...so no fertilizer for me until all is safe and clear. Hugs, Evie!

Thought you'd like to see a spray of the blooms one of the rose trees is putting out. Trumpeter is the name and it's a true orange red color.

How are your trees doing now?

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