I have some tea roses that started to get new leaves and then we got a cold spell, it didn't go below 20 degrees. Anyone know if they should live or if I will have to buy new ones?
Has the new growth died? Even if it has the canes may re-sprout. Presumably you are asking about hybrid teas, a few of these may be a little hardier than teas but either way you will probably have to use some winter protection in Michigan. If there is a rose society chapter near there that has shows you might want to attend one and see what kinds these enthusiasts are growing, what tips participants may have to offer. (Such events are usually a competitive exhibition, but there will probably be an information table set up to help visitors too).
Hi, I wouldn't give up on them yet. After a "false start", where the new growth is damaged, it seems my roses will make another attempt, usually sending out new growth lower on the canes. Jason
Leave them be. Whether damage has been done depends on the variety of roses you have, and the microclimate of it's location. But the fact that your roses came through the rigours of winter to start producing shoots suggest that all is well. As Jason says, even if a late freeze were to kill off the first set of new growths, new shoots will emerge to take over, as long as the root systems and bud unions (the lumpy part, low down near the where the roots start - assuming that your roses are grafted) remain viable.
