Friday 20 November 2009

Winter Protection for our Roses in Canada and Northern USA States



The Chrysler Imperial Hybrid T Rose This is one of the most highly fragrant of the Hybrid T's. It was the all round winner of the 1952 Rose Shows, as well as the first rose to be used in Car promotions

Protect Roses.


Many roses, including most Shrub roses and Old Garden roses, require little or no winter protection, except in very cold winter regions.This includes the Explorer, Morden, Nearly Wild, and Parkland Roses here in Canada
However, tender roses, such as Hybrid Tea roses and Grandiflora roses, should have winter protection. In Zones 5-8, tender roses need to have the graft union and roots protected from changing winter temperatures. When soil keeps freezing and thawing, it can twist the graft union and break feeder roots.
Winter protection also helps keep soil evenly cool in the late winter or early spring.
The best way to winterizing roses and provide basic winter protection for tender roses is by mounding soil over the crown and lower stems to a depth of 8-12 inches.
The sloping mound of soil will also protect the surrounding root system.
Protect roses with soil mounds from mid to late fall after one or more freezes. Bring the soil in from another part of the yard, or purchase it. Don't scrape up soil from around the rose plant since this will damage the roots and expose them to the cold.
For additional protection in zones 5-6, pile straw or dry leaves around the roses. To keep mulch in place, when winterizing roses, form a corral around the rose plant using chicken wire or other mesh fencing secured by stakes. Then fill in the corral with loose mulch. In spring remove the mulch and soil gradually as the weather warms up.

3 comments:

  1. I'm sure this is good information, Reg. But I only grow wild roses and hedge roses, so I will let others use it. Beautiful picture, and I wish I could smell it, too!

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  2. yes most of my Roses are winter hardy as well. They are the best for here at any rate. So much less fuss.

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  3. dear sonny...so far we have not had to protect our roses because we have just recently planted them!
    ha!..the only thing we have to do is to protect those tender bulbs from the squirrels.
    we have given the garden a good douse of hot peppers and the little monsters are leaving the bulbs alone now!
    bernie is going to take your suggestion about putting a screen on top of the garden for the spring until the flowers pop up.

    catch you late sonny sikora and don't you be working so hard..love terry

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