Recently, roses have become one of the favorite flowers of summer residents of the Middle Strip. As it turned out, even our Russian frost, the Queen of Flowers tolerates well. However, the plant is still thermophilic, and therefore the question of how to cover roses correctly for the winter worries many summer residents.
A summer resident who wants to preserve flowers in the cold period should begin with preparatory work. Back in July, you need to stop fertilizing the bushes with nitrogen fertilizers. The fact is that such compositions very strongly stimulate the growth of young shoots. And their appearance in the second half of summer is extremely undesirable. Such branches turn black at the first frost and begin to rot. As a result, the whole plant can become infected with a fungus, which will greatly weaken it.
Answering the question of how to cover roses for the winter, it is worth mentioning the need to stop cutting flowers for bouquets from early September. Most flower growers know that if old buds remain on the bushes, new ones will stop forming. Because of this, the vegetation processes will slow down - the new upper buds will stop developing, which will make it possible to effectively prepare the plants for the onset of cold weather.
Continuing to consider how to cover roses for the winter, we will give our readers one more useful tip. Around the end of September, all foliage should be cut off. This will contribute to the accumulation of nutrients in the bark and stems, which will also increase the chances of success. At the same time, it is worth adding sand under the bushes and slightly bothering them. This will help protect plant roots from the first frost.
So, how to cover roses for the winter and what exactly is this process? Around mid-October, plants should be pruned, leaving shoots about 45 cm long. Next, a trapezoidal wire frame is put on each bush, covered on four sides with a plastic film (best of all, but it can also be burlap).
Leg wires are deeply stuck into the ground, thereby securing the structure. The top until the end of October, in case it is not too cold, can be left open.
In early November, sawdust is poured into these film structures. It is best to use coniferous wood material. The top is necessarily covered with a piece of film, which can be fixed with tape. Make such a "cover" is necessary. Otherwise, water will fall into the sawdust, which will freeze in winter. And this can cause the death of plants.
Many summer residents are also interested in how best to cover a climbing rose for the winter. In order to do this, at the end of September, the plants are removed from the supports and laid on the ground, on a piece of roofing material. After that they should be sprinkled with sand. In this form, the whips are left until the onset of cold weather. In November, they are covered with a second piece of roofing material.
We hope you now understand how to cover roses for the winter. This process is not very complicated. However, all preparatory steps must be completed. Otherwise, the plants will leave in the winter weakened and will surely die. Among other things, it is worthwhile to install shields for snow retention in the rose garden. This will increase the chances of a successful wintering.