I just bought three, Maria Stern, Dr. Brownell, and Senior Prom so we can compare notes together. Hoping to put them in the ground by the end of the month.

One of the reasons I bought them was because the photos I saw of them on HelpMeFind were very nice, I like the Hybrid Tea look of the flowers.

HelpMeFind: Senior Prom

Good luck with them!

I guess I would first try to diagnose why last year's purchases didn't make it. I don't know that "Sub Zero" roses would do any better without knowing more.

Hello Diane, I think the roses were not meant for this zone. They were fine until the Fall. The turned a deep red and turned black. Since I have too much fertilizer in my soil, the roses were not fertilized for the time that I had them.

I decided to try the subzero's for ease, looking for roses that are tough, don't need a lot of maintenance.

I bought two Helen Hayes sub zero roses. So Far, there is not much growth on them due to the cool spring weather. I will let you all know how they fare.

While they were a good decade ahead of their time, that was more than 50 years ago. Entire classes of easier roses have come and gone since then, and generally Sub-Zeros are little more than historic curiosities.

If you want easier more reliable roses, ask for recommendations. However, pay close attention to where the recommendations are coming from. There are about a handful of regulars from the Mid-Atlantic region, and those are the people you are trying to reach out to.

I have to agree with Diane. You need to find out why those roses died before you plant more. It sounds like they died before winter and not because of it so you need to address the problem first. The Sub-Zero roses were bred for winter hardiness but even those may not live if there are other conditions causing your problems.

I don't understand what you mean by having "too much fertilizer" in your soil. Did you get a soil test? And even if your soil is high in one thing it may be lacking in another and all roses need nitrogen because it does not stay in the soil at all. You can usually get a soil test through your state or county Extension Services.

What roses did you buy last year? Without knowing what roses you tried we can not say if they were suited to your zone or not. In zone 6 there should be a fairly good selection of roses that will do well for you. I would recommend contacting a local rose society for more information on what roses will be good for your area. They will know which ones are disease resistant and winter hardy. You can find out how to contact a local group by going to the American Rose Society's web site.

I'd echo the advice about checking your soil and local advice. In my Nebraska zone 5 winters, the Brownell Sub-zero series has been anything but hardy. For me, they're among the less hardy HTs I have tried to grow, so the sub-zero label is more marketing than current reality.

If you want "easy-peasy" roses, try the "Easy Elegance" series by Ping Lim. A lot of garden centers stock them and they're tough as nails and can come in a wide variety of colors. Not mostly the tight hybrid Tea (HT) blooms, but nice loose flowers and very frequent bloomers. Also hardy without much fuss.

Cynthia

There are probably 2 different classes of Brownell Sub-zero series roses in circulation now. The first is the virused discount store "bargins" and the second would be those (if any) who had been virused heat treated or tissue cultured to remove viruses.

When someone comments on their experience, it may be useful to know the roses background.

I had a soil test done a year ago. I have too much Nitrogen, Phosphorus was off the chart, and Potassium. I have not used any fertilizer since I got the report.

I believe the roses never went dormant and were wiped out by the first major frost. My English roses & OGR's are doing great! The Hybrid T's took a hit. Now I'm look for low maintenance and the ability to withstand cold temps.

A friend in Monmouth County 5 miles south of me with established roses lost quite a few HTs this past winter. I did not lose any.

I do recommend the "Fairy Tale" series from Kordes. Palatine has them grafted on r. Multiflora, Chamblees and Roses Unlimited has a few of them on their own roots. The two that I have are very disease resistant (Caramel Fairy Tale, Floral Fairy Tale).

Diane, mostly on your recommendation, we are planting about 90 Fairy Tales in a public garden Saturday. I spent today measuring out the beds. My partner in crime has the roses at her house, and we are good to go. Originally, we had ordered a larger group of roses from Pickering, but scrambled and managed to get roses for one section from Palatine. I'm actually rather excited about this. I haven't had room to trial new roses in my garden for a while, and I like the idea of getting to see them somewhere else

In addition to the ones mentioned for low maintenance and the ability to withstand cold temps, also consider Generosa, Delbard and Buck roses. Martha Stewart likes Generosa roses and I have had good luck with Mme. Paule Massad, Martine Guillot and Sonia Rykiel. Some of the Delbards are also hardy - Nahema is an excellent climber. Romanticas tend to be tender but Bolero has survived without protection. Some of the hardier Buck roses may also do OK, such as Quietness, Earthsong and Country Dancer. Buck roses were used in the breeding of Knockout and Easy Elegance roses.

MG good luck with the Fairy Tale roses. I hope they do well for you, please let me know!

Thanks for the rose suggestions, I will be looking them up.

I purchased a Brownell ever-blooming Sub-Zero rose bush from Christmas Tree Shop. It's a climbing rose called Rhode Island red. It was quite small. I planted it last spring and it survived but it didn't boom. By the end of the summer it had some black spot. I removed all of those leaves. We had Sub-Zero temperatures for a week this winter here on Cape Cod. I'm interested to see if it'll come back. It's somewhat protected by a large boulder and a bed of leaves. The man at the store said this kind was the kind to get. We'll see.

I & some of my rose growing friends in z4 find that roses from Kordes have better winter survival than those that come from US, Eng. & French hybridizers. The Star Rose division of Ball Horticultural will be distributing them in 2019....here is their web site KORDES. As Henry stated, the Subzero roses have a high rate of virus infection & you probably can't find a source that isn't infected.

'Mango Veranda', from the website linked above by wirosarian shows a beautiful bright orange color. Apparently is brand new. I hope it shows up in nurseries this year so I can see the color.

Roses that have done well for me in Zone 5b (NW Illinois) include the Kordes and Canadian Explorer rose.

Did MG ever let diane_nj 6b/7a know how her (FT) recommendation ^^^^ worked out?

What a great question! I also wasn't aware that the Christmas Tree Store carried roses!, especially Rhode Island red which I've been wanting

Christmas Tree Shoppe also has a store called "This and That" and I found the Sub-Zero roses there this year (4/21). I bought the "Rhode Island Red" and 1 other climber for $9.99 each. Do any of you who have purchased these in the past have any thing to say about them? Did they survive? Any trouble with disease or insects? Planting recommendations? I live in zone 7 and any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks for the reminder on this Wendy. I'm certain Rhode Island red will survive for you in zone 7 as I've seen it surviving in much colder. My friend is growing curly pink but it is new this year so I cannot report back. I think that is the only subzero rose

For nostalgic reasons, I have been trying to find a Maria Stern Rose. I grew up in Geneva, NY where Stern's Nurseries was located and run by Otto Stern. It's a Brownell rose. Does anyone know why this was named after Maria? My father bought one all those years ago for my mother and it grew in our yard for years and years. We sold our childhood home after my parents passed away and I now live north of Boston. I would love to try growing one, but I'm new to gardening and need advice on reliable retailers and hard to find resources.

Earth Song is very tough and good in cold weather.

https://www.directgardening.com/10-roses

According to HMF maria was Mr. stern's wife.

https://www.helpmefind.com/gardening/l.php?l=2.4118

Here are other places from which you could buy it but many are owned by the same outfit. Some of these places have a port reputation but I have bought from them and while the plants might be virus they Have grown well for me.

https://www.helpmefind.com/gardening/l.php?l=2.4118&tab=16

You might also want to check out the Christmas store in that if you have 1 nearby.

I would suggest buying it from roses unlimited if you can