A narrow-leaved form, even has the same shothole problem prevalent among 'Otto Luyken' here.

There is no problem applying fertilizer in your area at the current temps, in fact it's the best time. The winterizer should be applied when top growth has stopped but the ground isn't frozen. It should also contain all quick release nitrogen. This is usually around Thanksgiving where you live, but can be later if the weather is mild like last year. One more thing regarding fall overseeding; you don't need to use siduron since the main weed it prevents is crabgrass which won't germinate in the fall.

Your plant should look healthier as soon as you have found what it needs to be 'happy' - it should put out new leaves first thing. If you have some kind of light that you can put a flourescent bulb in, the plant would appreciate ~15 hours of light a day. For a single plant, you could just put a flourescent bulb in a desk light or some other small portable light, and then either use a timer just give it extra light each evening. I would plan to water daily. Hopefully the plant is in a nice light potting mix that does not stay heavy and boggy? The mix I am using stays moist due to the peat and coir content, but it's light (does that make sense?). It does NOT contain any soil - it's a soilless mix which the plants seems to like. DH got me some minis from Nor'East for Valentine's Day and they were repotted within a few days of receipt, sulked for a few days, and are actively growing now. I am setting them outside every day that it's above 40 degrees and inside during day. My windowsills in the sunroom are full with other roses, so these two have to go out to get some extra sunshine. Just keep them watered and don't forget them outside if it's really cold or super windy. :-) Cheers, Michelle

It really depends on how thick the leaves are. If you think about it, leaves are nature's natural mulch and aren't harmful as a mulch in most cases. It is true that rodents may seek shelter in them, but who cares? I would rather they overwinter in the garden than go into my house/garage. Anyway, if you have a heavily wooded lot with large trees then you may end up with too many leaves and they can smother plants as they tend to mat together when wet. If not removed in spring they can prevent emergence of plants that die back in the fall/winter. If you end up with a mat of leaves less than an inch thick (when matted, not when fresh) I, personally, would leave them permanently (good mulch and soil conditioner), but I would rake them in the spring to 'fluff' them again. More than that amount and I would remove some. My way of dealing with leaves is to use a mulch mower as I mow the lawn and let them incorporate into the lawn soil. Those that get into flower beds I just leave alone. It will be along time before the trees drop enough leaves that I would actually consider removing any from my property. One trick if you have too many leaves is to put them in plastic bags and then use those bags as insulation over the winter either along the house foundation or around container plants or anything that might benefit from a winter blanket. In the spring those bags can be stacked out of the way. By the following year you have 'leaf mold' which is a great compost/soil conditioner. They also make a good 'brown' to add to the abundance of greens we have in the summer for the compost pile.