Rose bush

[grapegrower]

Hello everyone, I am new to this site.* I had bought a rose bush a week ago.* It is a masterpiece-lol. (that is the name of it)* I live up northwest Indiana and it's still cold here (Down to the 30's at night) I thought I would just give the rose bush a drink of warm cool water and wait intill it warmed up outside to plant it. Now after having it for a week, the new buds that are on it are turning red. Is this normal?* I thought since it came from a warm store I could wait to plant it. Or should I soak it in water now and plant it?* Any sujestion's would be very helpful. Thank's.

[Newt]

Hi Grapegrower,

The red growth you see is normal for young canes.* Not all varieties of roses have red canes when they are young, but as the canes mature and harden they will green up.* I have some concerns about planting now since you have so much new tender growth.* Unfortunately you don't say what your hardiness zone is.* NW Indiana has zones 5 and 6.** Here's a hardiness zone map and a zip code zone finder in case you aren't sure of your zone.
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/c...cs/INhardy.jpg
http://www.gardenweb.com/zones/zip.cgi

You also don't say if this rose is potted in soil or if it's bare root.* You mention you bought it in a store so I'm guessing it was a Mart type store and not a nursery.* Do you know if the rose was greenhouse grown?* I'm thinking you will need to harden it off before you plant it outside now that growth has started.* Can you put it in a garage or on a porch out of direct sun during the day for a week or so?

There are several different roses with the name Masterpiece and it would be most helpful for you to know just which one you have. * Most are hybrid tea (HT), one is a shrub rose and one is a floribunda.* HT roses are more difficult to grow and are more tender.* Here's a listing of the roses with Masterpiece in their names so you can id which one you have..*
http://www.helpmefind.com/rose/roses...h=SEARCH&tab=1

You might want to contact the ARS (American Rose Society) as to the best time to plant once you have your hardiness zone, the full name of your rose and the type it is (shrub, HT, floribunda).
http://www.ars.org/

Here's some helpful info on growing roses.
http://www.backyardgardener.com/rose/index.html

Here's growing info from the Indiana Extension Service.* I DO NOT recommend their use of chemicals.* There are many organic sprays you can purchase or make instead.
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/HO-128.pdf

I'd love to know which rose you have, your zone and what you find out from the ARS.

Newt

[Newt]

I received this as a private message from Grapegrower.* I have permission to post this here and have edited selected information that isn't necessary..

Newt,* I first want to thank you so much for writting me back or should I say leaving me a comment in the rose forum for me.* I have a Red Masterpiece Rose. I'm still not sure if it's a bush or not. You were right on the money when you thought my rose came from a Mart- yes, (K-mart.) I did want to try growing Mr. Lincoln but they were out of them and I then picked the Red Masterpiece.* My zone is 5.* I* looked into every web address you sent me, they call for zone 7 or warmer for red masterpiece. I'll have to take good care of this beautiful rose.* I am a sucker for rose's, I love them, next to the tullip which they don't last as nearly as long as I would like. The rose I have is packed bare root in, I want to say. peat moss and at the bottom of the packageing it say's:* America's Bouquet, Red Masterpiece. Plant Patent No. 3508 Everblooming Hybrid Tea Rose. It even say's the year issued: 1974 and thats right, I looked it up.

The rose came with 4 big canes that were pruned to 8 to 10 inches, and from them are the new shoots alot of them the shoots are almost a foot long and turning red. I will do as you tell me and keep it in my cold basement (62degrees) away from any and all light.* We are getting 3 inche's of snow tonight and into the morning. I wouldn't even think of setting the rose outside now.* It seem's that Father winter doesen't want to leave us right now and we are 6 days into spring.* I haven't wrote to the american Rose society yet, but plan too.* I guess I'll just keep the rose in a dark cool place and water it now and then unless you write me back and tell me different. Thank you newt for everything you have tought me, you have been an inspration to me.

Rick



Hi Rick,

You are very welcome!

If it's ok with you, I'd like to copy your reply and mine and post it on the original thread.* That way others will be able to learn and I'll more easily be able to follow all the conversation in one place.*

I would like to suggest you return the rose and purchase a hardy one.* Hybrid tea roses are difficult enough to grow (very fussy and prone to pests and diseases), but one that is only hardy to zone 7 when you are in zone 5, is just asking for disappointment.* You would probably need to bury this rose (the entire bush) each year.* That's alot of work when you can probably find a hardy rose for your area that will give you years of pleasure.* By the way, do you understand hardiness zones?* They indicate the average low for winter temps.* If a plant is rated to zone 7, that means that it can withstand winter temps down to 0*F.* For zone 5 the average low is -20*F.* I've tried to plant zone 8 plants in my zone 7 garden and they don't survive a cold winter.* Here's the zone temps for Indiana.
http://www.growit.com/bin/USDAZoneMaps.exe?MyState=IN

This site shows how to protect roses, but you are two zones off and I have my concerns.
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/roses/winter.html

This site is in Michigan and has a good list of northern hardy roses.* I'm not recommending them as I don't know that much about them.* They don't ship mailorder, but maybe you can find some roses you like and go from there.
http://www.greatlakesroses.com/rosesfor2008.html

If you do decide to mail order, you can check references here and even search by plant material or state.
http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/

Sorry to hear about the snow.* :( That would make me sad.

Please let me know if I have permission to post this on the original thread so I can keep track of it all.

I'd also like to know what the ARS has to say about planting a zone 7 HT in zone 5.

Newt


Newt, Please by all means show my letter to the rose forum.* One question for you, this raise's my eyebrow's... So if Red masterpiece is a zone 7 plant, then why is* K-mart* selling them in a zone 5? Hum.....good question.* Is it all about the Denearo? and I'm not talking about Robert-lol.


*Rick, I suspect that the person in charge of which plants go to which stores made a mistake.* At least that is what I'd like to think.* :?* I loved your comment about Robert!* That gave me a giggle.**:D* I would suggest you print out the info about the rose and take it to the store with you.* Let the manager know about the mistake and maybe they can pull any others so no one else will be disappointed.

So, have you made a decision on which rose you might want to get?

Newt