Was this a bare-root that never broke dormancy except for the feeble growth shown? If so, it's a goner.

Yes Michael, I planted 10 bareroot Polar Joy this spring (April). Just poured 1 gal Root and Grow 4-10-3 root stimulator mix in the pot. Is there anything I can do to make it to grow? Can I put rooting hormones on the roots? It won't hurt to try, right? Or put it back in a fridge for 3 weeks, then plant it again.... it sounds crazy....just don't want to lose another one.

Possibly they were mishandled in storage and got freezer burned or dehydrated before sale. But, with the extra exposed bark, tree (standard) roses are more susceptible to dehydration after bare root planting than bush roses are. Maybe treating with antitranspirant at planting time would be helpful. I would skip the "root stimulator."

I really don't think it's worthwhile wasting any more energy over a dying plant, but perhaps someone has other ideas. Sorry for the discouraging words.

Thanks Michael. They're like my babies, just don't want to see them gone with the wind.......they're here in my garden to stay, not to leave........

I was hoping it's blight, then the spray would save it.

Michael. You're right. Just got back from my local nursery....never broke dormancy. I will try to contact Bailey Nursery, see if they can replace them for me. Wish me luck.

Can't find Bailey Nursery's email address. Anyone knows?

Another point: in zone 6, bare roots are best planted earlier than May.

Michael, I checked my emails from that nursery in PA (one of Bailey's retailer nursery) I purchased from, it was in the middle of April, not May. It was my mistake thinking it was in May. I asked the nursery in PA to let me know the Bailey's contact info so I can contact them, and later I asked if she would contact Bailey for me since I can't find Bailey's contact email address online, I haven't heard from her. I contacted Ping Lim, the father of all Polar Joy roses, on his website there is a contact email address, that's my only hope, may be he can let Bailey know, I hope I can get 2 replacement trees next Spring. I don't think the nursery would refund me. She told me it looked like blight, spray it. I told her what you and my local nursery said, she never returned my email. My local nursery told me to contact Bailey, but it's so hard to reach Bailey. I might have to ask a local Bailey retail nursery to contact Bailey for me, I am getting 6 Bailey's Above and Beyond this weekend, the nursery is about 50 mins away. I will ask them if I don't hear from Ping Lim.

Don't buy from that nursery again. They don't want to back their products. I have never had to go to a wholesaler to get a refund for a product that I purchased from a nursery.

Sorry two of your Polar Joys are duds, Summer. You planted 10 from the same source & 2 never broke dormancy. The 8 that are growing shows it's not your gardening technique but a 20% failure rate of the stock you were sent. What is the stated guarantee on their plants from the mail order company in PA that sold them to you? That's where you need to pursue a refund. Bailey Nurseries is not a retailer selling to the public.

Thanks Diane & Vasue, I have oredered 30 trees from her in the past, 10 each year/each order. I am a rose tree hugger indeed. I'd think she would help me to get replacement......but I am not mad at her, she works really hard for her nursery, during the tax season she worked 2 jobs to pay bills, I can feel her pain. it's not an easy thing to run a nursery. She probably doesn't have the extra to refund, those trees weren't cheap. I just hope I can reach to Bailey somehow. I think Ping Lim is a rose angel on earth just like Kim (roseseek), they all have beautiful hearts to creat beautiful roses. he might help me, Polar Joy is his baby. The contact on his website is Jane@Rosesbyping.com, I hope Jane would let Ping Lim know.

if these are standards, are these grafted onto another rootstock. Was the graft union damaged?

Ianna, They're own root rose trees.

read up more on the plant. Definitely grafted and therefore you should examine the graft union. That part is always susceptible to insect or winter damage. If there;'s a crack, its an avenue for disease. Once the union separates, nutrients from the rootstock will not reach the plant. It will die at the top but the bottom will continue to live and may sprout new growth.

Polar Joy grown as a standard is an own root rose trained to a single trunk form, not grafted.

http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.37681.2

http://www.firsteditionsplants.com/polar-joy-tree-rose

very interesting -- this one says it is grafted -http://plants.gertens.com/12070009/Plant/3299/Polar_Joy_Rose. although it also says it ownroot. However, something along the trunk must have been damaged causing the problem. I imagine this must be a common problem with standards.

I am not sure if this is a common problem with standards. I have 23 Polar Joy rose trees in the gardens and 23 KO and 2 Intrigue rose trees in pots without any issues. I oredered first 10 Polar Joy in 2010, shared 4 with my coworkers, I had 6 planted in my garden, one dead after a year (after its first winter, after spring beautiful blooms), and after that I ordered another 10 in 2014, they're all doing good, and this year 10 more, 8 out of 10 are doing good and had their blooms already. This year's trees were bigger than other 20 I have ordered in the past, so I had to pay $100 more for the bigger size. Well, still love Polar Joy, now I have 2 empty spots open, wishing for replacements, so the garden can be balanced with other Polar Joys nearby. It's like missing teeth in two spots.......

Lanna, under Description your link says "A new development in tree-form roses, this stunning pink beauty is grown on its own stem and roots..." Are you thinking the same rose as the roots & stem is grafted at the top? As you can see from the helpmefind link, it will grow as a shrub normally. http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/l.php?l=2.37681.2&tab=36 To create the tree form, one cane is selected to be the trunk & supported for straight growth. Bud eyes on the single cane that becomes the trunk are removed until the height desired is reached, when branches are allowed to grow from the top. It's a method often used to create standards from other types of shrubs. It is an oddball from the typical rose standard produced. On his website, Ping Lim says "This rose is not grafted and is the same rose from root to head." http://www.rosesbyping.com/polar-joy

Summer, you are extraordinarily sympathetic. If you wish to pursue directly with Bailey Nurseries, this "unofficial" facebook page gives the corporate headquarters phone number but not email. The first entry by Janet Sharp deals with a 2-year guarantee on roses.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bailey-Nurseries-Inc/135326283184135

Bailey sales reps are listed on their website by the regions & states each covers. No phone numbers but click to email. Further down the page, phone numbers & click to email for those to contact for the sales reps above. https://www.baileynurseries.com/sales/

Thanks Vasue, I just sent an email to Dave O'Hara (sales rep for NY). Thanks for your help! :-)

vasue, What I was aiming for but it looks like I managed to mangle things up - is that a damage at trunk level may have lead to the death of the crown of this rose.. The reason I brought up graft union is because in most standards, graft union damages is a common thing. However as it has been pointed out that its an own root plant so I stand corrected. The link I provide somewhat misled me - it describes it (in the landscape part) as a grafted plant and also an ownroot plant. Anyway that argument is now settled. Moving on back to trunk damage - that is what I suspect may have killed this plant.

You're welcome, Summer. Go for it! Lanna, my apologies, wasn't meaning to argue. Looked into Polar Joy as a pillar or climber here sited in prevailing Winter winds. Lack of scent dropped it way down the list of possibilities, but I was rather fascinated by the means of commercially producing a tree rose without - my assumption! - any grafting. Advertising & online info seemed to indicate no grafts, without expressly stating more than "own root", which could indeed apply only to the trunk not being grafted to the roots. Now you've got me examining my assumption, after more carefully reading all the info on the link you posted! Right you are - Gertens says "Polar Joy is a deciduous dwarf tree, selected and trained to grow in a small tree-like form with the primary plant grafted high atop a standard." So you are right & I was wrong - correct me any time! Agree the usual multi-graft (root, trunk, head) of standard roses present several points of vulnerability, along with bare-rooting, storage, shipping, planting & after care. Regarding which glitch did in this rose - ? Summer, do you recall noticing any differences between the roses that failed & those that thrive?

Thanks all for your helps. I talked to the lady from the nursery, she was being nice, she'd help me if I don't get replacements from Bailey. She gave me her sales rep info too, she must be busy earlier. I really like her after purchased 30 rose trees from her. We can go pass these 2 dead trees. Life is still good, people are still wonderful. :-)

In his book Right Rose, Right Place, Peter Schneider says the tree form of Polar Joy is not grafted. http://tinyurl.com/qzz95tw Just cleaning up my Inbox, came across a reply to the question I'd sent to Ping Lim during this discussion, asking if any of this tree rose was indeed grafted. Jane Lim responded "...the
whole thing is own root, no graft at all including the flowers."

Yes, they're own root trees. I think everyone should try one. :-) They repeat pretty fast, add bright pink color to any garden. The 2 troubled ones are totally brown now, dead, lifeless sitting in the pots. I was hoping the root might be alive, but they were all gone. The nursery will bareroot the ones they have now and ship them out next month, waiting for the weather cools down more. I will grow them in pots, store them in the garage for this winter, plant them in the garden next spring. I should be all set with Polar Joy trees after these 2 are replaced. 25 is a good number to stop. :-) Thanks for you input Vasue. Are you going to get 2? :-)