Roses wintercare
Protecting roses for the winter is sometimes needed. Especially if you live in an area where the winters are cold. To face a cold winter, your rose bushes need protection. In this article, we provide you with a step-by-step plan on how to protect your rose bushes. During the colder months, most people don't take care of their gardens. Neglecting your garden through winter will make it harder for you to start again in spring. The temperatures are already dropping, so make sure you start on time with the roses winter care!
How to prepare roses for winter?
Roses winter care isn't just about winter, preparing roses for winter starts in summer! You should stop fertilizing these beautiful plants after mid-August. The roses will stop growing during fall and winter. This way, the roses are more resistant to the cold. During the first weeks of September, it is time to give the rose bushes a little extra energy boost. You can do this easily by adding some Superphosphate to the soil. The roots will stay strong during winter, and this is necessary for the roses to survive the cold months. When fall starts, stop cutting your roses. This will give a signal to your roses that winter will start soon. All of this needs to be done before the first frost. Getting roses ready for winter may take a little more time than you would imagine.
Roses in the winter: what to do
With this step-by-step plan on how to take care of roses during winter, your bushes will most likely survive. All these steps need to be repeated as much as necessary during winter. You will have to use some gardening tools but won't have to buy anything new.
- The most important rule of roses wintercare is that you have to keep in mind to water them. Winters can be dry, so don't forget to check the soil for moisture and water the bushes if necessary.
- Tidying up is not always the most fun thing to do but in order to keep your rose bushes healthy, it has to be done. It is important to tidy those leaves so that they protect the roses from extremely cold temperatures.
- Pruning helps the rose bushes to save some energy. If you cut the deadwood, the plant will be able to send its energy to the parts that are still alive. Prune at the end of winter with sharp secateurs. You will not have to cut leaves, because you should wait with pruning till all the leaves have fallen.
When to cover roses for winter?
Climbing roses will need a different form of protection. You can't just easily protect them by covering the bottom. You will have to make a bit of an effort. Start by putting some canes with a zip tie. Be careful! Don't put the zip ties too tight, as this may cause the zip tie to abrade the plant. Securing canes together will protect the roses against the wind. The canes will also need protection from the cold, not just the wind. Isolate the canes with straw and burlap and secure this with some loose wire. After you made sure the canes won't get cold during winter, the roots will need some protection. Add a thick layer of soil around the base of the climbing rose.
With all the tips and tricks from this article, it is easier than ever to have beautiful roses all year long. By taking care of roses during winter, these beautiful plants will be healthier than ever in spring. Good luck and let us know how your roses survive during winter.
