First Day of Fall – Rose Preparation
Rose Gardening
If you need supplies to help you get ready for Fall – or next year - now might be the time to visit Gardner’s Supply Company. They’re having a huge sale that you might not want to miss.
Take 10% off orders of $50 or more at Gardener’s Supply Company! Ends 10.8/08
That being said, here’s how to prepare your Roses for Winter:
No matter what type of climate you live in, there are always certain steps you should take to prepare your rose bushes for winter.
For those who live in the warmer climate zones this preparation will be minimal. But for those who live in the colder climate zones (like South Dakota, or even Seattle sometimes) more preparation will be needed.
In the warmest southern zone freezing isnt a major concern. You’ll want to check your plants for disease, taking care to treat for any problems that may have arisen. You may want to give a light fertilization in November to ensure blooms in time for the holidays in December.
After the blooms in December you’ll want to prune your bushes in preparation for next spring.
For those who live in temperate southern and coastal zones the freezes that occur are generally short-lived so major preparation is not necessary.
You do want to stop fertilizing and pruning or “dead-heading” in fall.
To prepare for freezes apply mulch after the second hard frost. This mulch should be mounded around the base of your plant to provide ample protection.
If you live in the colder central zones your winter preparation is a bit more extensive. If your roses are of a hardiness thats adapted to your climate zone you can simply follow the steps set out for the warmer climates.
However, if you have varieties that are not well adapted to colder climates you have three options: transplanting to containers for storage indoors, burying your plants or building a protective covering.
For anyone who lives in the Northernmost climate regions your best options are burying or transplanting your rose bushes as mentioned above. The winter temperatures are far too cold to rely on a protective covering for your plants. The cold exposure may still be too much for them to survive.
Generally transplanting is the preferred method of winterization for the most extreme winter climates.
Although the winter preparation can be a bit daunting, and at times even overwhelming, by preparing in advance for winter you can ensure that you have beautiful, healthy rose bushes next spring.
Make a winter preparation plan during the summer/fall - Doing your research and gathering supplies ahead of time will make carrying out your winter preparations easier, and much less stressful.
Check out the Gardners Supply sale for all your Fall gardening needs!
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Add comment September 22nd, 2008
