HYBRIB TEA ROSE Hi Stan This is Stan Duer writing from near Two Hills , Alberta. We are approximately 1 1/2 hours (150 Kms) east of Edmonton. This last spring we planted a Miss All American Beauty hybrid tea rose bush 20" from the corner of our house. The house has an overhang of about 22", 9' above the rose. We would like to know what would be the best method of winterizing the rose bush. The rose bush has not lost it's leaves yet and still has a rose bud on it. Thank you for any help you can give us on this. Sincerely Stan Duer Name sake - The hybrid T rose in any circumstance is sometimes [ always ] a challenge to maintain over winter. The growing location of the rose has much to do with the longevity of the plant. Constant unfiltered sunlight and well draining soil are the pre-recs for the plant. Your location of the rose may be too protected, as water may not be available to the roots when the plant is in active growth either setting leaf or buds. Cut back the rose to half the existing height. Most successful rose growers will dig a trench... lower at one end than the other, and about 12 to 16 inches at the deep end. Dig your plant up and and lay it in the trench .. root end at the lowest and the ends of the stems just visible when you fill in around and over the plant with shavings, peat moss or sawdust. You can use the dug soil, but it usually is to coarse and will allow drying around the sensitive graft and roots. Water well, and mound the mulch over the back fill. Yes it is a fair amount of work, and not always successful. The very reason the non grafted hardy roses are so popular, and exactly why I don't grow them. This would be the week of decision and procedure. Good luck,

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