I don't know much about Sharifa Asma specifically, but my inclination would be to put it in a pot.

Also, I'd look at the breeding of the rose, and then read the numerous voluminous posts about soil amendments from strawchicago - her knowledge is encyclopedic, and she gives pointers on how to tell which kinds of roses want what kinds of soil. Then do a soil test and make adjustments based on her advice.

Good luck! Hopefully someone who knows this rose in particular will chime in.

Have you tried fish fertilizer? It works wonders. I have a pathetic little Charlotte that refused to grow. I started her on fish a few weeks ago, and now she is full of buds (that she can't really support at the moment), but it is worth a try.

Slumgullion: Thank you !!

Aaron: I have Sharifa Asma as own-root for the past 10 years. Someone mentioned in HMF that its leaves look like Rugosa leaves. Rugosa doesn't like salt, esp. salty chemical fertilizer, and Rugosa does better in loamy/sandy soil, than dense clay (higher in salt).

The first 3 years my Sharifa Asma got ORGANIC fertilizer (alfalfa meal and horse manure) and it was vigorous. Then I gave it too much chicken manure, and it went down hill, its small size could not handle the salt. So I transferred from clay to pot, and it got worse with chemical-fertilizer and dense potting soil.

I transferred it back to clay & partial shade. It did well for another 3 years, until I overdosed AGAIN with chicken manure, then roots got burnt.

I agree with sibilation that fish fertilizer (low-salt) is worth trying. As to winter-protection in zone 5, skip piling leaves on top of Sharifa Asma. Leaves are high in magnesium and "glue-up" soil below, or making soil below denser. Wimpy roots like Sharifa Asma can't push through dense-clay. Sharifa Asma is winter-hardy, but its roots can't handle salt. Young Lycidas also has "Rugosa" crinkled, curling down leaves like Sharifa Asma, and Young Lycidas has wimpy roots that do better in fluffy & loamy soil than dense & hard clay. Both Sharifa Asma and Young Lycidas are best grafted on Dr.Huey for clay soil.

Thank you all! Mine is own root so that explains some of the issues--I'll break out the alaska fish fertilizer and might move it to a different location where its roots can fare better. I was advised to pile up soil and matter on top of it over winter, which I think may have impeded it. Fingers crossed!

The leaves look more bullate to me.

Thank you for the term "bullate", I look it up and Rugosa has bullate leaves. Rugosa is very prickly like Sharifa Asma, so the commenter in HMF is correct about Sharifa Asma's leaves look like her Rugosa's leaves.

Sharifa Asma's parent, Mary Rose is very prickly and wimpy as own-root, even Khalid in Pakistan can't root Mary rose.

However, I am impressed with Tahir Khan's own-root Sharifa Asma in a fast-draining pot with sandy-river-soil in hot & dry Pakistan. It's 10 times more vigorous than my own-root in clay. I read an article on Rugosa rose: it cannot stand wet-feet, which explains the decline in my poor drainage & soaking wet clay.

In contrast Hybrid Perpetual class is low-thorn, like Paul Neyron and La Reine (both have smooth & light green leaves). La Reine is a fantastic bloomer in my wet clay. Gallica class is famous for suckering and once-bloomer. Sharifa Asma's leaves do look like Rugosa's leaves, and Sharifa doesn't sucker like Gallica nor low-thorn like Hybrid Perpetual.

I went back to HMF to review my discussion with Lavenderlace in Texas regarding own-root Sharifa Asma. Sharifa Asma does great for Lavenderlace's sandy soil, same with her dozen of Jude the Obscure as own-roots in sandy soil. Lavenderlace also noted that her Jude in sand is significantly bigger than Jude in clay. Lavenderlace wrote the below on Sharifa Asma as own-root in her Texas alkaline sandy soil:

"She's still in a pot with sandy native soil, compost (shavings, alfalfa and timothy manure, mineral supplemented w/copper, etc...), and castings.
She has been loaded in blooms since the beginning of March ...The soil is somewhat light and fast draining. She's getting as much sun as possible, but she hasn't really been tested with high heat yet. I hope that doesn't make me change my mind about her but so far, so good!" Lavenderlace.

krista, your roses Inspire me! I don't have this rose but it's nice but I'll be able to grow it perhaps from all this information if I ever get it. Smiley face I do grow pretty Jessica which is a gorgeous rose. Do you grow her anyone here?

@Aaron Rosarian Zone 5b I grew Sharifa Asma on its own roots in heavy clay sub-soil amended with compost, and it grew to 6 ft tall with thick well-armored canes...much like a hybrid-tea. It grew in a damp location that got full sun, so that might have contributed to its vigor. And, of course, I'm in a much milder zone. So none of this may be particularly helpful. It was a gallon sized plant to start with, though, and these days, I would never plant a band size plant in the ground. I've lost too many young roses that way. I always grow them up to planting size in a 1 gallon or larger pot now. So if it were me, I might consider lifting it and growing it on in a pot for a year...preferably in an ideal location with enough sun to encourage quick growth.

Thank you @John (PNW zone 8)--I lifted it and put it in a pot, and in a sunnier and warmer location. Will also do what I can to encourage growth--feeding it well and protecting from cold. Thanks for the advice!! I planted it before I knew to repot bands in gallon pots and figured if it's already in the ground I should leave it, but I'll aim to do this with anything that isn't doing great. Really appreciate everyone's suggestions!!