Well here we are at the end of May and now I think I can safely report that I lost 60 roses out of 137. All but 5 of the ones I lost were planted in pots. In the past it was the potted ones that survived better than the ones in the ground. I don't know quite why this year took it's toll on the pots instead of the ones in the ground either. They were wrapped and packed in leaves just as well as always. Whereas NONE of the ones in the ground were protected at all and most of them survived, albeit cut nearly to the ground, but growing nicely now just the same. So I'm not sure protection made any difference. And I wouldn't put all my money on own root plants either. The 5 in the ground that I lost were 4 own root minis and a Knock Out. And my biggest losses in the pots were all of my own root mini and miniflora show roses. The only mini that survived was X-Rated. Which is weird because it's NEVER been a very vigorous grower for me. And then there are my seedlings. I lost all but 9 out of 78. And all of those are own root of course because they're from seed. So it wasn't protection or whether they were grafted or own root that made a difference as far as I can tell. Just the fickle finger of fate I think.

We have had unseasonably warm weather for March and our snow cover is rapidly disappearing. My roses are planted deeply and are mounded, but I worry that the warmer weather may coax some of the roses out of dormancy. We're almost sure to have one, probably SOME, killing freezes before spring is truly here. Would it help for Erika to mound the roses with exposed bud unions should the weather turn colder? The fact that they have survived for the past three years probably indicates that the grafts are either buried, or the rose has put out good feeder roots above the graft - both of which should protect the rose. But this early warming trend does concern me with my own garden. I hope our orchard trees don't break dormancy and start blooming too soon.

I plant in EARLY spring. Thus the crazy lady with the shovel in her snowsuit with scarf and hat. If we have thawing in late March, I am out there. Sometimes I can only dig a shovel deep a day, and then have to wait a bit to let the dirt thaw. I then plant the biggest roses I can find which are Austen roses from DAR, either grafted or own root. The rose comes up like it was planted the year before, not knowing it was ever out of the dirt. For those who don't know, I plant my roses deep. Rebecca

If you leave them outdoors to receive acidic rain, it's best with 1/2 perlite and 1/2 potting soil. Dense potting soil (peatmoss & lime) is needed to buffer acidic rain. I water my rootings with 100% rain-water (pH 4.5), and sand still gives me trouble since it's too dense (best mixed with 1/2 vermiculite). Nahema rooting in 1/2 sand and 1/2 peatmoss lost all leaves in heavy rain, but my rootings in 1/2 perlite and 1/2 potting so DO MUCH BETTER OUTDOOR in freezing 40's to 30's temp. But if you keep them indoor (blocked from rain), then it's best with 1/2 perlite and 1/2 vermiculite.Sand is too alkaline if tap-water is used. Rooting outdoor with a glass dome on top (to block out excess rain-water) is easiest. Once cuttings grow roots, they don't need glass dome, but 1/2 perlite mixed with 1/2 potting soil is still needed if you have heavy rain in winter. If cuttings lose leaves, putting a glass dome over helps to re-grow the leaves. Cuttings lose leaves when the medium is too dry, so a glass dome helps to retain moisture. Water evaporates from leaves, so rootings drop leaves to converve water. Learn something new this morning about rooting roses. Someone in Chicago asked me for cuttings of Evelyn, so I sent to her few weeks ago. They keep ALL their leaves in her wet INDOOR medium of 1/2 potting soil and 1/2 perlite, they also grow leaf-buds, but zero roots. She asked me what's wrong. I finally realize there's a BIG DIFFERENCE in rooting INDOOR with alkaline-tap-water and OUTDOOR with acidic rain. For outdoor 1/2 dense potting soil and 1/2 perlite is OK, since ACIDIC rain softens the medium. Keeping rootings indoor or cuttings indoor is a real-pain, that's why I'm keeping my rootings outside at 33 F freezing temp in my zone 5, and won't bring them inside until it's below 32 F. If I'm in a warmer zone, I would keep everything OUTDOOR with rain water. Glass domes make it much easier, I water only twice a week with glass dome, compared to everyday without glass dome. Glass dome blocks out excess rain water plus prevent rootings from dropping leaves when it's hot & dry. Skip below if you keep tiny rootings outdoor with acidic rain water: For rooting indoor with harder-wood: roots are wimpy and won't push out unless: 1) medium is airy and fluffy with perlite (so perlite & vermiculite is best) 2) rooting hormone is used 3) Above room temp. is cold to discourage growing new leaves, but with a heating pad below to encourage root growth. 4) A glass dome or misting system since INDOOR IS DRY, and spider-mite is a problem. 5) Sand is too alkaline & OK for acidic rain at pH 4.5 but NOT for indoor 6) Distilled water is neutral pH and NOT as acidic as rain water. Folks even use citric acid to root plants. 7) Fluffy medium of perlite & vermiculite helps with wimpy roots indoors. Below link talks about when cuttings are in a cold room, but WITH A HEATING PAD below, then it won't grow leaves but grow roots instead. Rooting hormone is recommended for rooting hardwood in winter, using 1/2 perlite and 1/2 vermiculite. 1/2 sand is TOO ALKALINE to use indoor with zero rain-water. Countless website proved that rooting indoor is best with 1/2 perlite and 1/2 vermiculite, with a glass dome or plastic pop OVER since indoor air is dry. The below link explains it well: https://www.purdue.edu/hla/sites/yardandgarden/extpub/new-plants-from-cuttings-text-only/