Rosseyanka no way. Of course no way, Nikita’s Gift. Rosseyanka died back to one or two buds two years in a row and after last winter’s polar vortex which I was near the bullseye of and hit -30 it didn’t come back for its’ third year. The prior two winters were typical zone 5 winters here. -12 I think both years actually.
I have at least 6-hybrids planted middle summer to see how they do over this winter. No protection, simply mulch & caged of course. Very well caged.
I’m trying:
Gora Goverla
Gora Roman Kosch / Gora Roman Kosh
Gora Rogers
Pamjat Pasenkova
Super Rosseyanka (I’m sure it’ll die as it’s a bud mutation of Rosseyanka.)
Sosnovskaja
Chuchupaka
JT-02 - I planted 2. JT-02 I grafted in a raised bed where I raised seedlings. It grew to 4’ easily from the first leaf of growth. I got to learn that it survived -33 F last winter… every other bud didn’t grow and the others grew almost exactly 2" each. Then a month or a month and 1/2 later it reshot from just above the graft union on both of my (2) grafts. It shot straight up too so it formed the perfect new specimen. One plant grew (3) leaders and the other grew (1) leader. The distribution of total growth comparing each was identical. Same thickness seedling, same resultant vigor. It was very interesting to see… and I informed Cliff England of the entire experience.
I’m in a great location to see which are zone 5b hardy. My Mom remembers the weather here and she says it rarely ever went to -20. Since I’ve been at where I lived 11-years and other than that polar vortex, it went to -18 one winter and about the same one other year. That’s one night so not enough to do any serious damage would be my opinion.
Wish me luck.
Dax