Kelly: cuttings don't survive my zone 5a if left outside. I tried "soil layering", bend a branch down, nick the lower part, then dump soil over, but that failed last cold & rainy winter. I succeeded with "soil layering" in milder winters for vigorous Austins.

One year I got cuttings really late in Sept. (mailed from CA), and root them. They were tiny rootings in mid-Nov, so I put them in pots and store in unheated & dark garage, they kept all their leaves through the winter. In spring time the leaves were still green.

Last year: I winterized 2 rootings .. they lost all their leaves since I left them out until early Dec. But they grew back their leaves I spring. One of them got killed by spring frost. I should had kept them inside the garage longer. This year I'll bring ALL rootings inside when it gets down to 20's at night (elevated on wooden-planks) OFF the cold garage's floor.

Do you water them when in the garage? I have a rose tree I am going to try to winter over in garge...just have to remember to not leave the door open!!

For the 2 rootings that kept their leaves through the winter. I gave it a tiny bit of water, about 1/2 cup every other week .. but that was extremely fast-draining pine-fines. For slower draining peat-moss potting soil, less is best.

With a tree-rose, the root can be damaged if it's soaking wet, then freeze afterwards. Roots survive winter better when it's slightly moist, rather than soaking wet, according to U. of Vermont.

Last year with gallon-size own-root roses inside garage, I topped them with snow once or twice a month. In spring time when I pull the roots out, their roots were wet. But if your rose is grafted on Dr.Huey, that can take dryness better than own-root.

Soaking wet = freezing ice which can crack the root. Recently I saw rootings lost all their leaves when I dumped water on top, so I use a squirt-bottle to mist them instead. Misting the top slightly is safer than dumping water and risk it become frozen ice to damage the root.

One cold March I visited my neighbor: she kept her geranium indoor through the winter, next to a cold window. Instead of watering it, she misted it with a sprayer once a day and it was blooming lots. Since roots can't take up nutrients in cold temp, she foliar-fed it with a sprayer.

When the temp dips down, tender plants can't take wet feet. My impatients in a dry spot are blooming & keep all their leaves as of Oct. 18. But my impatients in a soaking wet spot (under the rain-spout) lost all their leaves when the temp went down into 50's.