Anyone else have tree roses? I have had two. I loved my Julia Child tree rose but it died after a few years. Now my ‘Secret’s Out’ tree rose is declining as two grafts have died. Two grafts are alive and I just pruned this tree rose last week. How do I keep a tree rose alive for more than a few years? Any suggestions are welcome!
What growing zone is your garden? I am in 8B and do nothing for winter protection. I have four in the ground and three 24” height plants in half wine barrels. Over the years I have found lots of factors contribute to longevity:
Winter wind and storms (west of Seattle), my pruning methods and general care. I do have hefty supports in place all year because of wind. I do cut them back in fall to reduce the mass that would cause a “sail” and catch the wind and rock the plants, breaking roots. Sometimes by spring one of the grafts at the top dies and if that plant is in a half barrel, I remove it and put it in the ground and hope for the best. I also find yellow roses to be most tender here.
Your tree roses look great! I have one tree rose - Olivia Rose Austin. I have had it for two years and it has beautiful flowers all season. Since I live in zone 5, I have kept it in my garage in the winter in a seven gallon pot.
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Your tree did well over the winter! If it were mine, I would prune it back by 50% when it is time to put it outside and really fertilize and water generously.
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Tree roses in AZ have a finite life span if pruned back to hard. The best thing here is to support well for the winds we get, Don’t prune back too short , like more than a third, and make sure to thin out spindly growth to avoid a “sail” that will damage the graft. I also have painted the standard with trunk paint if the tree rose gets a lot of very strong sun to keep it from burning.
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If you have Kitty Belendez’s email contact her. She is the queen of tree roses and has written several articles about them. PM me if you don’t have it.
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I have 5 tree roses. One is about 8 years old. It is DA Sophy’s Rose. I am in zone 8a, but I wrap the root balls of my tree roses, and any young grafted roses each winter with horticultural cloth. The temperatures fell to 10 degrees last year and many of my rose friends lost a lot of roses. I didn’t lose any, including my standards.
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In 8b here. I have one double grafted rose tree. One of the grafts struggles, while the other one does pretty well. I do burlap wrap the union and roll the entire container into my shed for the winter. It’s now 4 years old, though I too wonder how long it will last!
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Similar zone 8A/B in South Carolina. The one tree rose I still have was nearly blown over by a hurricane last year. I dug it up and planted it in a half barrel. I just pruned it. It is beginning to put out new leaves. I am wondering how to grow them beyond 2-3 years. They seem to die after about 3 years.
Yes, Same here. Not sure why but one graft is ok by the other struggles to put out any leaves. Welcome to the rose forum, Anne !!
Jackson Perkins deal of the day (4/10) is a discount on tree roses if anyone is looking for a new addition to the garden. I have found them to be of good quality
What is your growing zone? I am in 10a. I have a Julia Child rose tree that is 14 yrs old. I have seen too many that have been poorly maintained and pruned over the years. I prune the canes much longer but still shaping it.
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Keep them in the garage over winter.
I am zone 8A/B South Carolina. I cover my tree (especially the grafts) when really temps at night go below 27 F which does not happen very often.
Hello
I saw your post about tree rose expert Kitty Belendez. Could you share her email with me in some way? I have a wintering over problem with my tree roses whereby all but one graft dies even if I bury the tree in the garden. I have a garage and a barn also for winter storage.
Thanks so much
Hi Penelope, I would privately share her contact info but I don’t think she’s the one you need. She is in the very warm climate of California where they don’t worry about winterization. If you go to the American Rose Society website at www.rose.org there is a way to search for the local rose society closest to you. Contact them and they will have one of their expert members who is familiar with your climate and growing situation contact you to assist you at no charge. I would help myself but I’m in GA. All the best!