Marigold - I wish you/your garden the best and hope your roses make it through the winter alright. I’ve been concerned here in St Louis as well as it’s been -7 F the past two nights - colder than it usually gets here. We generally get 1-2 days close to zero but that is all. This cold looks like it’s here to stay for a while, too.

I'm in the same boat. Unusually cold here, and it's just hanging around forever. 2f right now, and showing single digit lows for another week.

Thanks Dave! I'm glad to have this forum to get advice and for fellow gardeners who can relate! I was especially surprised by Cherry Parfait, which is the only one Iv'e lost over the years because it's supposed to be "excellent in all climtes"

Tuesday morning it was -1. I am expecting the canes to look like they have been torched in a few weeks after this prolonged cold spell. Trying to think positive, hoping it zaps some thrips and Japanese Beetles.

Hey, that would be a plus. I have to admit that I’d take these cold temps over late spring freezes like this past spring, though. Do you have any roses you’re concerned about loosing this winter? Sombreuil, SdlM, Happy Child, Rouge Royale, and Molineux are ones I’m concerned about. And, of course, I just moved Evelyn to the main garden this fall.

Usually, just concerned about the ones that are on fortuniania rootstock and how much dieback that will be on St. Patrick. Yes, spring freezes are worse than this in my garden. Do you remember spring freeze 2007, too cold too long about 1st week of April?

Ky, we've had multiple nights of -3; at least this will set me straight on what is hardy now rather than later when I try to zone push! I try to zone up actually, so we'll see. My main worry is MAC and the Hybrid Musks I planted out in the Fall. Most everything else has been through one winter, albeit not as cold. New Dawn and all the Orlean Polys made it through the back-to-back poalar vortex so no worries there.

Does your soil lean acid? I've never considered using fortuniania rootstock. Is there an advantage in our neck of the woods? (I'm in Cincinnati.)

Vapor Same. I planted 4 in the fall. They were from ARE, so they were big plants. I hope they are ok. Zone 5 on them, so I don't know if I should worry or not. All had started putting out growth, so I assume the roots were settled.

Yes, mine actually had tons of bud set! I don't know if that's a bad thing before the super cold as nothing really had time to properly harden off.

Vaporvac, The main advantage is that is the only way I can get certain varieties. Another advantage is if the bush thrives, I will get more blooms on longer stems. I do like talking to Jim and Daisy at K&M and ask for their recommendations based on some of my criteria. My garden is mostly for cutting and I don’t want disease magnet varieties without knowing first.

I did give them potassium. I linked it around here somewhere, but potassium is supposed to help them get ready for winter. I think they had at least 3 doses. I can't remember now. I should really write this stuff down somewhere. I hate tags on things, and it's getting harder to memorize the name of each rose. I'm going to make a diagram and put it in a cabinet. lol

Ohh I also put tons of crushed up eggshells in the holes that I'd been saving all summer.

Since we are talking about cold... I noticed the strangest thing. One day I looked at Belinda's Dream on hmf, it was the same as everywhere else, zone 5. The next day it had been changed to 7. I have 3, and they are the least of my worries. One of them came from my old yard, a zone warmer, but no fertilizer, mowed over repeatedly, and not a scrap of mulch for 3 winters. I hope I'm not wrong. lol

Our neighbors had kids shovel the snow next door and it landed on top of a few of our rose bushes piling up the snow even more. I'm hoping that's not going to seal their demise and the temperatures are due to drop to 4 degrees by tomorrow.

Marigold as far as I know, it's better if they have snow on them.

Snow, ice in another form, cannot be colder than 32° F.

Roses with an all winter long, continuous snow cover come through in great shape. It is the frigid air temperature that does the damage. Below 17° F., severe damage occurs to the standard, older hybrid teas, like Mr. Lincoln. The newer ADR hybrid teas, like Pink Enchantment, and roses in other classes awarded ADR have exceptional winter hardiness.

Moses

Thanks to you both, that information makes me feel a bit better!

Do people ever spray water on their roses to protect them like they do for Citrus in Florida when they get freezing Temps?