16 own-roots in zone 5

last year

last modified: last year

I'm writing this post to share my experience with growing a few own-root roses in my zone 5 Colorado garden. It was inspired by last year's thread "The Truth About My Zone 5 Roses in Spring" linked here: https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/6123034/the-truth-about-my-zone-5-roses-in-springAll of these roses except one were planted last season as bands. One is starting its 3rd season, the rest are starting their 2nd. All are pictured here except for "Indigo" because it's so swamped in blue flax that I couldn't get a good photo. And "Harison's Yellow" is also not pictured but I will add it tomorrow. I will update later when they bloom.

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mmmm12COzone5

last year

last modified: last year

Fourth of July was planted where we took out a Dr. Huey so I never know which is growing here until the blooms come out.

Sovenier de St Anne's always looks like it is going to die but it doesn't. It doesn't do well for me. None of the roses I have in mulch do well. The ones in the rock bed seem to do better.

Altissimo is 30 yrs old and doesn't do much other than grow a single cane every year.

Robusta is a monster and mostly cane hardy. There are a few things to trim out but we don't approach this beast. Too thorny.

The Fairy is about 30 yrs old. She has had some bigger years but seems to be dying back recently. This year she is small.

Phew, that was all of them.

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Comments (73)

Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b)
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
Small update:

High Country Banshee close up and full bush shot. This plant is a bendy one cane wonder so far, here it is buried in Canterbury Bells. It has been visited by several bee species since opening this morning.

John Cabot is beginning to open up, many more buds to go. Full bush shot and first blooms:

And Sidonie, which opened up its first bloom today but has many more right behind it. Bloom and full bush shot:

And Harison's Yellow, the earliest to bloom (I think May 28) but it got pounded by rain and the flowers got ruined. Also attracts little bees.
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All band and 1-gallon plants are rooted cuttings and not grafted. In a true zone 7a winter (low of 5 to zero F), it's possible for some grafts to be damaged enough to ruin the plant. Therefore, ideally the graft should be just barely below grade. You can protect those planted at grade by shoving mulch over them for just the part of winter with temperatures below 10 degrees. Unnecessary mulching over the cane stubs can encourage disease. Most shrub roses will be hardy in zone 7a without protection.
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I think that seil's comments are good advice. But, I'm going to throw a "but" in here. "But" since you have this new Pergola & if you wish to try an "experiment" with your idea of getting some roses thru the winter....place an order for 3 roses (usually the minimum order) from a rose seller & see how it works for you. Gardening is about expermenting & learning by doing if something is a good, bad or so-so idea are some of the fun things to do as a gardener.
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Addison, I am in a far warmer zone than yours...and people said to me, in very good faith, that I cannot plant tiny roses (bands) so late in fall (late Oct/Nov). Just put them in pots. I cannot stand overwintering pots. So for me, at that point, it became an experiment whether I can plant late into fall. I planted them in the ground. Those bands fared so well I gasped as they took off in spring. Your roses are hardy in your area. The roses I planted were border line hardy in my area. So I was playing at the edge, at least a little. Now, I dont know so much but I gather that the most important part of planting in fall/late fall is to get plenty of root growth started. As Flowers said the ground will be plenty warm and not freeze for quite a while so this will happen for you. I recommend two things, as I do believe these have contributed to my success. First, I dig a big hole and amended with a little fish bone meal, some organic granular fertilizer and almost 2 cups alfalfa pellets. The aa pellets being critical. These will very slowly breakdown and stimulate the plant's winter physiological processes. (Some of the breakdown pdts will be right there for the plant when it wakes up in spring). Second, I used a product called Dyna-Gro KLN Rooting Concentrate (from Amazon). I watered with the rooting concentrate at about 1-2 tsp per gallon every 5-7 days maybe 5 or 6 times. The rooting concentrate really works. I have used it on other occasions, it works so well it feels like cheating. (I have no affiliation with Dyna-Gro). My friend Addison, I am not an old hand at this. I do like to experiment, more like take risks. I dont know if your roses will make it over the winter in the ground. I think chances are they will. Give them the edge on getting the rooting started. Just mentioning, if it is an issue for you. I learned from Seil not to worry about adding organic, slow release fertilizers to the soil in fall. Its just like planting in very fertile soil. Good luck! I was going to make a bad joke about the red sea but decided against it.
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mmmm12COzone5
last year
Magpie, those look fantastic! Really nice size on the bushes.
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b) thanked mmmm12COzone5
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b)
Original Author
last year
A few more...

Erinnerung an Brod, bloom and bush shot. Not many blooms this year but of course it's so young.

Madame Plantier. Bloom and bush shot, though normally the canes are more upright and fountaining, they're getting pulled down by the weight of the blooms right now. It's only just begun, this one put on the most buds of any of the roses by far

Therese Bugnet. The fragrance of this one is so unique, like Bazooka Joe bubblegum. A sweet, candy smell. Very ephemeral blooms, and so far they only want to open one at a time. But I really like the shape of the bush so far.
jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
last year
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b), looking good! :-)
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b) thanked jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b)
Original Author
last year
Thank you Jim :)

Okay, I have a few more this morning:

Ispahan.

Laguna.

Sally Holmes.

Reine Victoria
jjpeace (zone 5b Canada)
last year
All of your garden are beautiful and picturesque. I love when garden have that natural look and not ”staged” hence formal gardens.
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b) thanked jjpeace (zone 5b Canada)
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b)
Original Author
last year
@jjpeace (zone 5b Canada) Thank you so much. That means so much to me :)
portlandmysteryrose
last year
@Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b)

Everthing looks great! Your EaB, Ispahan, T Bugnet,… Is it just me, or do other gardeners love T Bugnet’s lacy foliage?

My EaB needs a bigger pot! It’s still in the gallon one that Burling sent. Debris in pot. Bad rose mom!

Carol
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b) thanked portlandmysteryrose
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b)
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
I did not get a gallon pot from Burlington??? I got a bitty baby band. @portlandmysteryrose I'm really enjoying TB s foliage this year, for some reason last year it was awful. I'm also loving the arching shape it's taking. Of course, I'd like some blooms, too, though...
oursteelers 8B PNW
last year
My EaB was also small.
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b) thanked oursteelers 8B PNW
portlandmysteryrose
last year
@Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b)

@oursteelers 8B PNW

I think my plant came from…a wait list? Or it was one Burling found somewhere after you two ordered yours? I can’t remember now. Honestly, my brain is mushier than my roses! It did cost more to purchase and more to ship and EaB grows quickly, so the band is a better deal. My Hippolyte is a Burlington band—growing well and even gave me that lovely bloom I posted on Melissa’s Gallica thread. 🎉 @Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b) Your EaB looks SO much bigger and better tham mine! I’m rose mom shamed! 😁 Gonna repot mine tomorrow….
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b) thanked portlandmysteryrose
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b)
Original Author
last year
In the spirit of full disclosure, I have to report that in the midst of the month of glorious spring flushes, Gruss an Aachen had only managed to (after dying 100% back down to the ground) grow one cane, which is still 6" tall and half the thickness of a pencil, made 5 buds and then abandoned 4 of them, with the final bud balling and never opening. SIGH. I told myself to be patient with all the roses but I'm incredibly tempted to give GaA the shovel. It's in one of the best spots for roses that I have, and I could definitely use that spot for a rose that's better suited to the cold (I'm assuming the cold is what caused GaA's problems). GaA is in the spot Munstead Wood used to be, I wondered if it could also be the Rose Replant thing? Is that even a real thing? I would love input on that because my plan would be to move a different rose into that spot if I get rid of GaA, but it Rose Replant is really an issue then I guess I shouldn't...

Anyone know?
portlandmysteryrose
last year
I don’t think rose replant is likely to be the issue. Most likely cold winter temps. I think replant is more of a problem in the UK.
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b) thanked portlandmysteryrose
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b)
Original Author
last year
@portlandmysteryrose I see, I did read similar things on other Houzz threads about it after I posted that comment. The urge to grab the shovel is getting stronger, hehe.
mmmm12COzone5
last year
last modified: last year
I can't say if replant is a thing but in my experience not so much.

Neil Diamond replaced a rose that failed to bloom. Only had buds that balled into brown dried out roses.

Livin Easy replaced a dead Playboy. Playboy actually survived a couple of years, but just barely. One year it had a single cane that came back which was broken off by the drip hose moving when my husband was working on it. It declined to come back from that incident.

Above All replaced a poorly performing Sally Holmes.

Fred Loads replaced a virused Hyptontized.

Lady in Red replaced a failed Sally Holmes.

Love Song replaced a gorgeous huge (going to be too huge) Golden Wings. Love Song is that little tiny bush front and center. Golden Wings had gotten huge in this spot. I had not seen the one at the botanical gardens when I bought it. Once I did I realized it could not stay in this location. It would ruin the bed by blocking visual and physical access to it. So we dug it out and gave it away on nextdoor.

Candy Land replaced Oranges N Lemons that was murdered by a garden cart, twice.

Fourth of July is replacing a huge 20+ yr old Dr. Huey. They are still fighting it out as Dr. Huey keeps sprouting.
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b) thanked mmmm12COzone5
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b)
Original Author
last year
Yes mmmm, that Golden Wings at the botanical gardens is absolutely massive!
mmmm12COzone5
last year
Magpie,

And I placed it right at the entrance to my rose garden. It would have cut off access and hidden all the other roses. It was, however, a champion grower.
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b) thanked mmmm12COzone5
mmmm12COzone5
last year
last modified: last year
You might wonder about my two failed Sally Holmes. I had thought I would line the back of the bed with them. They would grow huge and provide a lovely white flowered back drop for the other roses. Also I would cut out the other edge bushes once they filled in. Never happened. Only one out of the three thrived.

The one that thrived got major (at least half the bush) die back every year. Except this year. None at all this year. If it had happened this year I was planning to pull it out and put something else there.
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b) thanked mmmm12COzone5
mmmm12COzone5
last year
Magpie,

I tried to send you a private msg but it doesn't appear you have that turned on.
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b) thanked mmmm12COzone5
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b)
Original Author
last year
Is there... Something we need to talk about privately? 😅
mmmm12COzone5
last year
I was just going to offer you a garden tour if you were ever in my area.
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b) thanked mmmm12COzone5
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b)
Original Author
last year
Aw that's sweet of you! Hmm I don't know how to mess with my message settings... Let me try sending you a message.
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b)
Original Author
last year
Mme. Plantier going strong, a gorgeous shape, considerable size for 1 year (6+ feet across right now) and wafting fragrance which is hard to achieve in my bone dry climate. It's the only one I can smell without my nose in a bloom.

Sally Holmes spring flush going, this is about 2.5' across, full sun and blooms are holding up extremely well. The photo doesn't capture just how luminous the blooms are, it's really beautiful.

Sidonie also roasting in full sun and it gets hit straight on with the overhead sprinklers, but it's still been blooming well for 2+ weeks and looks great IMO.
oursteelers 8B PNW
last year
And that is why Madame Plantier is my all time favorite rose, even though she is a once bloomer. Every aspect of her is perfection.
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b) thanked oursteelers 8B PNW
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b)
Original Author
last year
Yes, she's been wonderful to behold.
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b)
Original Author
last year
End of June, Gruss an Aachen has refused to grow beyond this pathetic twig:

And Polka is just one long cane again, with blooms that are always blackened by thrips. Of all my roses, only 2 get thrips. Also, to my nose, it smells bad.

Even ignoring the thrips damage, the total lack of any top growth retention even in one of the warmest spots I have, and the ugly shape of the plant, and the yuck fragrance, I can't say I'm crazy about the bloom either. 🤷🏽‍♀️
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b)
Original Author
last year
Dropping a few photos of some of the best looking roses right now. Some of these will bloom in fall, some not until next spring, so they're all just foliage right now. But to me they all look great even without blooms, they're all healthy and growing densely and vigorously.

Erinnerung an Brod, foliage has a very cool tinge of deep color to it year-round, very attractive and very vigorous.

Sidonie, so healthy and just beginning to form tiny buds for the fall flush.

Mme. Plantier, squeaky clean bill of health and vibrant green leaves, growing densely and vigorously.
Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR
last year
They look great, Magpie and are lacking in the overbaked look some plants get here in later Summer.
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b) thanked Sheila z8a Rogue Valley OR
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b)
Original Author
11 months ago
I will gradually update as each rose starts to bloom this year. Please bear in mind that ALL of the roses sustained a lot of hail damage after starting their growth for the year, so they all look a bit sparse and beat up this year. We also had very cold weather here this winter so I have a lot of cane loss in the garden. Okay here we go...
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b)
Original Author
11 months ago
First to bloom this year, Therese Bugnet. 3rd year now, it was loaded with buds (finally!) This year and put them on quite early, so sadly I lost most of them to the hail. Not even an inch of winterkill on this rose. The flowers don't last long, but they are beautiful and have a good fragrance that is both old rose and something sweet like bubblegum. It's kind of a weird shape right now but we'll see what happens over time. Here it is just starting...
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b)
Original Author
10 months ago
Therese Bugnet still blooming and doing well despite continued weather adversity here. Today's photo in the rain. No other rose in my garden has gotten going like this yet.
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b)
Original Author
10 months ago
John Cabot looks great this year. My phone camera doesn't seem to want to accurately capture the color unfortunately (the color has a definite blue tone to it, no warmth at all in the pink). This band was planted in August 2020. This first thing I will say about this rose is that it has very good winter hardiness, which is always important to me. It loses very little if any cane each winter, so it's putting on some size, though the growth habit is kind of wild right now. It's vigorous rose that sends out fat, wickedly thorny basals in every direction each year (though you can see it favoring growing towards the south in the photo). Unfortunately for me this rose gets borer/girdler damage and I have to remove a cane or two each year, but it's still coming along well. It's very lightly scented, always covered in bees, healthy foliage, and a great pop of color that you can see from far away. The blooms are so beautifully saturated with color when fresh, and they look pretty at every age and fall off cleanly. I got a couple of hips where I forgot to deadhead last year, so I'm hoping to see many more this year if I don't deadhead at all. This rose had never repeated for me but the bloom period is a solid month+ long.
jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
10 months ago
Your Therese Bugnet and John Cabot look great Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b)!

Thanks for the info on both roses...
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b) thanked jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
Kristine LeGault 8a pnw
10 months ago
Magpie, I dont think that I have seen a John Cabot before and what a wonderful pop of color ! Do you plant your bands in the ground right away or pot them up first?

I always end up digging mine up if I do because they never thrive. So I am impressed that you have such good success.
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b) thanked Kristine LeGault 8a pnw
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b)
Original Author
10 months ago
@Kristine LeGault 8a pnw I usually grow them on in a pot only a little bigger than the 4" pot they come in, for maybe 1.5-2 months, then I plant them out. However, John Cabot was my first band I ever bought (so I didn't know anything) and that one went straight into absolutely terrible dirt right in front of that wall that gets very hot, plus I planted it in the heat of August, what a horrible situation for a baby rose! And yet it has thrived. JC is a tough rose, to be sure.
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b)
Original Author
10 months ago
last modified: 10 months ago
More, because I'm just so pleased with it this year.
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b)
Original Author
10 months ago
Mme. Plantier doing well this year despite everything. It's helped by having some shelter from the elements from an overhead cottonwood tree, though the drawback to that is that it is covered in the cotton during bloom time, as you can see. The scent of the individual flowers is light/medium, but when there are a lot of them, they waft a delicate fragrance that is very enjoyable. The flowers are always well formed, the foliage always healthy, and it is vigorous even in a shadier spot. This rose has a forever spot in my garden.
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b)
Original Author
10 months ago
Year 3 and Reine Victoria is still a pathetic size and doesn't seem to be gaining any vigor at all with each passing year. The flower is pretty, well formed, lasts well, medium fragrance, but I mean... The plant is 12" tall and like, 2 canes. I don't think it likes my yard, and I'm not impressed with the hardiness at all, sad to say.
berrypiez6b
10 months ago
That's what I have heard about RV that she can be difficult. I threw a bag of steer manure down to age and forgot about it , not meaning to plant anything there . The roses close to it started to do really well. You could just let her sit and be whatever she must.
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b) thanked berrypiez6b
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b)
Original Author
10 months ago
Raubritter healthy and hardy in year 2, more vigorous now than last year. The bloom doesn't look how I expected but it's the first bloom ever so it may just need some more time. Can't smell it because the bloom is out of reach.
titian1 10b Sydney
10 months ago
Magpie, I'm surprised and very pleased for you that some of your roses are so large and have so many flowers, given the awful weather you've had and that they're fairly young bands. John Cabot and Mme Plantier look great. I've only ever seen Mme Plantier once - in a garden in Tasmania, and I thought her stunningly beautiful. Therese Bugnet looks very pretty and hopefully will grow more bushy for you. That certainly doesn't look like any photo I've ever seen of Raubritter, but it's a baby.

Loved your photos of canterbury bells and rocky mountain penstemon (what a blue) on the other thread.
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b) thanked titian1 10b Sydney
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b)
Original Author
10 months ago
@titian1 10b Sydney Thanks for your kind words :) I think part of the reason that Therese Bugnet, John Cabot and Mme. Plantier have done better than many others is that they're in locations that offered some shelter. And the other big part is luck I suppose! I'm so pleased to see some rose blooms after everything, I've been spending a lot of time just staring and photographing, appreciating. It was terrible weather but I'm glad to see which of my roses were tough enough to deal with it, that's very useful information. I'm sure you learned a lot as well, observing which plants handled your torrential rains. Which plants would you say did the best during your weather adversity?
titian1 10b Sydney
10 months ago
Magpie, a couple of things drowned (I think geranium Rozanne was one), but overall there was very little damage. Nothing much grew either as it was pretty dark! Day after day of heavy grey skies when it wasn't pouring. Occasionally the sun made a hazy appearance for a couple of minutes. I think we're going into a drought now, but that's Australia.

It's unusually cold here at the moment, and I managed to catch a cold overnight. Stuck on a beanie and have stopped sneezing so time to get up and plant my 2 Bliss. Munstead also needs to go in, but will have to prepare a hole so I doubt that will happen today.
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b) thanked titian1 10b Sydney
SylviaWW 9a Hot dry SoCal
10 months ago
I saw John Cabot in bloom a few years ago at a botanical garden in Steamboat Springs, CO. It was magnificent. I envy your ability to grow this rose… wouldn’t do well in my conditions.
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b) thanked SylviaWW 9a Hot dry SoCal
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b)
Original Author
10 months ago
Ispahan year 3. Definitely not my most vigorous rose so far but it's picking up some steam now and has turned out to be a good bloomer. It also finally developed a nice fragrance this year. Good winter hardiness, lovely foliage, lovely blooms. I'm really enjoying it this year.
oursteelers 8B PNW
10 months ago
Gorgeous @Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b) My Ispahan is barely more than a band still. I kept it in a pot for about six months after I got him from HCR but I still am wondering if he wasn’t ready to go into my crap, cedar root infested soil🤦🏻‍♀️
berrypiez6b
10 months ago
Magpie , incredible !

how very beautiful your Ispahan is , an old beauty seldom seen. I would prize that rose.

Research brought up a French pastry.
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b) thanked berrypiez6b
Kristine LeGault 8a pnw
10 months ago
Magpie, I was so worried about you when I saw the latest hailstorm.

Your Ishpahan is really beautiful.
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b) thanked Kristine LeGault 8a pnw
Mischievous Magpie (CO 5b)
Original Author
10 months ago
@Kristine LeGault 8a pnw Thank you for thinking of me. 💜 I did answer your other comment about the hail on another thread, can't remember which one now. We are fine, just had heavy rains thankfully. The blooms of Ispahan stood up to the rain quite well, I think.