How to choose a rose for a zone 3 climate

Faith H. Benedix

There are as many reasons for choosing a rose, as there are varieties to choose from.

As a zone 3 gardener, where winter temperatures can dip to-40 degrees, you must be aware of the affect that winter conditions present to you.

Winterkill from freezing plant tissue and desiccation of tissue from winter winds are the biggest challenges. Knowing this, and understanding the winter hardiness rating of any rose you consider, is the beginning point of the decision process.

You must also decide at the outset how much time and energy you are willing to invest in keeping your roses alive through the winter.

What Does Hardiness Mean?

The relative terms for hardiness are accepted by most rosarians to mean any one of the following three levels:

• Hardy to ground level-bush acts like perennial, will die back to the ground in winter but grow from the roots in spring.
• Hardy to snowline- bush dies back to the level of the snow cover. The snow acts as insulation to the rose.
• Hardy to tip-minimal to no dieback of plant tissue. Rose survives winter intact.

Own Root Versus Grafted Roses

Own root roses can come back from the roots even if killed to the ground by winter conditions. The roots are the same plant as above ground.As long as the roots survives, the rose can survive.

Grafted roses are more common. The desired rose is budded or grafted onto another type of rootstock. This allows the commercial grower to produce roses for sale in two years rather then three years that it takes to grow a rose on it's own roots.

Grafted roses have a knobby area several inches above the roots where the graft has healed. When you plant a grafted rose in a cold climate, it is a good idea to plant the rose deep enough so that the grafted area is five to six inches below ground. There may be enough roots remaining for the bush to survive severe winter kill.

Winter Protection Levels to Consider

• No protection at all- hardy to the tip roses
• Deep planting-graft five to six inches below surface
• Mounding-mounding soil or soil/peat mixture over rose to a depth of eighteen inches
• Minnesota Tip-extreme protection, labor intensive. Involves reburying the rose in late fall then digging it out again in the spring.

Growing roses can be an enjoyable hobby. Growing roses in a zone 3 climate can make it that much more rewarding, because of, not despite, it's challenges.

Photographer

Carol Buchanan October 13

Copyright © 2002

Basic Rose Care Reqirements for All Roses

• Six hours of direct sunlight daily
• Three to five gallons of water per week
• Well drained soil with lots of organic matter
• Soil ph of 6.0 to 7.0

   

Sources For Further Information

Canadian Roses

Minnesota Extention Service-Hardy Roses

American Rose Society

Minnesota Rose Society

Minnesota Tip

Recommended Growers

Sam Kedem Roses

Pickering Nurseries

Copyright © 2002 F H Benedix

Last Modified September 19 2002