Question
QUESTION: I have grown 2 beautiful tree roses (standards) since 2003.  Last year our area was hard hit by Japanese beetles and my tree roses were eaten alive despite treatment to ward off the swarms of pests.  I overwinter mine in an insulated garage; works great.  Now 1 of 2 is growing fine,ready to bloom but the other shows ZERO new growth.  Is it true tree roses only last 5+ years?  Has this one met its natural end?  The graft stem is still greenish - is there anything I can do to bring it back?  If not, can I cut it down and hope the lower graft grows into a rose bush?  Sigh.  The one that's fine is a Wez Apricot Star Rose.  The one dying is a Anthony Meilland Yellow.  They both mean a lot to me and I want to save/preserve both.

ANSWER: Tree roses are made by growing a Rugosa to about three feet and taking off all side growths. Then they bud a modern rose on the top of the Rugosa. The Rugosa will go through the winter but the modern top rose will not and if it gets cold enough it will die. If you cu the tall stem down you will get a Rugosa rose but because it has been stopped from producing laterals you may not get it to bloom. Tree roses will last for many years. Perhaps it would be wise when you put a tree rose into your insulated garage, to wrap the top with bubble wrap just to make sure it will survive the winter.

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QUESTION: Follow up question: Thank you for the first response!  Actually we do wrap the top of the tree roses with 2 layers of burlap in winter and our garage does not go below 40 degrees. This has been successful for 6 years so we guessed the current problem could be due to the beetle infestation or age of the tree rose.  I will cut the tall stem down and try to keep it alive.  My questions are, do I plant in the ground and winterize the usual way?  What size should I cut the stem to?  How long - 1 season? - should I give it to produce laterals before I call it quits?  Thanks much!

Answer
I would cut the stem right down to about 3 inches and that will ensure that you get sturdy canes from the base. If you cut it higher you may not get it to send out laterals as they have had a chemical used on them to stop any growth. It is a Rugosa and so is very hardy and if winterized the way you usually do it will make it through the winter. It should start to throw out canes and laterals the first spring. It may even bloom for you later in the season.