To print

Galina Barashkova 05.05.2014 | 2288

In autumn, gardeners are often faced with a dilemma: dig up young rose bushes or leave them to overwinter in a flowerbed under cover? Let's try to answer these questions.

Self-rooted plants take root well only after three years. They grow their root system slowly and do not tolerate transplantation well. It's better not to disturb them again. But, if there is a need for this, then you can carefully dig up the bush in late autumn, trying not to destroy the root ball. The rose is transferred to a room with a temperature of 0 to 3 ° C and air humidity of 70-75%. It is better to dig the bushes in, rather than plant them in separate pots, treat them with a fungicide and make sure they remain healthy throughout the winter.

If you prepare your rose bushes for winter in advance and stock up on the necessary materials to cover them, then your pets will be in no danger. They will calmly overwinter and then delight you with lush flowering.

Preparation for winter begins in summer

You should know that the winter hardiness of roses very often depends on how often and for how long they bloom. The main thing that by the time the cold weather set in, all the shoots of the rose were mature. This needs to be taken care of since mid-summer. Let's start with the fact that the fertilizers we usually feed roses with should consist of a large amount of potassium and phosphorus. Potassium strengthens cell walls, promotes the ripening of wood shoots and thereby helps plants withstand cold weather. Phosphorus stimulates the growth of the root system, makes it more powerful, and accelerates the ripening of bushes. Nitrogen fertilizers are completely excluded.

From August you should also reduce watering roses. At the same time, plants need to be fed in small doses so as not to cause salinization of the soil. At the end of August - beginning of September, you can treat the bushes with growth stimulants (Epin-extra, Ecosil, Zircon). At the end of summer - beginning of autumn slightly cut off all “blind” shoots, on which buds do not form, and all faded flowers are pinched. A little later, all the newly formed buds are broken. This agrotechnical technique allows the shoots to fully ripen by the time the cold weather sets in and does not stimulate the growth of new shoots that will not have time to ripen and will die with the onset of frost.

For climbing and park roses, pruning is not necessary; only the ends of the shoots can be shortened. All weak, diseased and immature shoots are also removed. The sections are treated with garden putty.

Shelter for the winter

The bushes and the ground around them are sprayed with a 3% solution of ferrous sulfate (iron sulfate). This kills pathogens that have settled on plants.

Some time after treatment, all the foliage is collected, including from the shoots, and the soil around the bush is sprinkled with well-rotted compost. A small mound of sand mixed with ash is poured under the plant stems. This will protect the roses during the first frost.

The stems of tall roses are bent to the ground and pinned, placing spruce branches (boards or specially made shields) under them. The stems should not touch the soil. As the frosts intensify, the roses are gradually earthed up, adding dry compost, garden soil or sand and ash. Initially, to a height of up to 15 cm, and when a stable temperature is below -8°C, up to 20-30 cm, leaving the ends of the shoots “in the air”.

Additionally, the bushes are covered with spruce branches and on top with non-woven covering material. Or they make frames over the bushes and throw breathable materials on them. Next, the bushes are additionally covered with snow and trampled down to prevent rodents from accessing the roots. It is important to provide enough air under the shelter so that the bushes do not rot.

To print

Read also

Reading today

Soil cultivation Yeast as fertilizer for flowers

With fertilizers, you can grow even the most exotic flowers in the garden, and even achieve lush flowering in those that are familiar...

Siberian winters are snowy and harsh. There is a lot of precipitation here, but it is this that protects the plants from severe frost. In order for flowers to delight again in the spring with fresh buds in bloom, it is important to properly prepare them for the cold season.

Covering roses for the winter is a common practice in Siberia. Local flower growers know that ornamental plants in this region do not freeze out so much as they rot away. Therefore, when wrapping them for the winter, some subtleties should be observed.

Despite the conditions for growing flowers in the territories of northeast Eurasia and Siberia, which are particularly harsh, rose garden owners manage to grow beautiful buds not only for personal use, but also for sale. It is quite difficult to grow anything in this area, since the purchased varietal bushes are susceptible to the effects of climatic factors, and therefore often die with the arrival of cold weather. Sometimes this happens due to an incorrectly selected variety that is not intended for cultivation in this region. In some cases, the cause of plant disease is the careless or illiterate attitude of the owners who have not thought through how to prepare shelter for roses for the winter in Siberia.

Tender varieties suffering from frost

All types of roses differ in their individual tolerance to winter. For example, hybrid tea and some of the climbing varieties of these ornamental plants are afraid of frost, therefore, when growing them, you need to carefully prepare for the cold. Bushes of miniature roses and floribunda are distinguished by their durability, however, when creating a shelter, the main thing is not to overdo it so that the flowers do not rot by spring. These varieties of roses are ideal for Siberia. Most of them do not require additional protection and show resistance to cold, not inherent in other types of pinks.

It happens that the owner does not know or does not remember what variety of roses grows in his flower garden. In this case, any shelter for roses for the winter in Siberia is suitable, implying protection of the roots from waterlogging and the creation of a favorable microclimate for the plant trunk for the winter period. The polyethylene “cocoon” eliminates the difference between temperature changes that provoke freezing of the shoots.

How to prepare a bush for cold weather?

Preparing a rose garden for winter consists of several stages:

• feeding;
• loosening;
• pruning;
• cleaning;
• treatment;
• hilling.

Elimination of fertilizing

Preparations for winter begin in the summer, at the end of August. Bush growth usually slows down during this period. Professional flower growers recommend stopping fertilizing with nitrogen complexes and abundant watering of plants. Fertilizers containing potassium are occasionally added: they promote lignification of the trunk and branches.

Why you can’t loosen the soil

With the arrival of September, they stop loosening the near-trunk area of ​​the soil to avoid the growth of young shoots. This trick will protect you from awakening and the traumatic effects of frost, which in the north begins in November.

Pruning roses for the winter

Before creating shelter for roses for the winter in Siberia, the bushes are pruned. The branches are trimmed, focusing on the height level of the future greenhouse, so that the bush can easily hide under cover. Greenery (young shoots and foliage) is cut out. It will not survive the winter, and in the spring the revived bush will produce new shoots. The lignified parts of the trunk are slightly shortened. This procedure is mandatory and is carried out for all varieties, with the exception of climbing and park roses.

Cleaning the flower garden

The debris accumulated under the bushes is raked out, including dry grass and leaves. This will help avoid the formation of fungal microflora under cover, which develops in warm, humid places.

Processing rose garden bushes

At this stage, it is necessary to strengthen the immunity of the flowers being prepared for winter. To increase the resistance of roses to moisture, the flowers are sprayed with a solution of copper sulfate or Bordeaux mixture.

Hilling up plants

Improving the aeration of the root system of flowers is facilitated by hilling roses after spraying with a prophylactic agent. In this case, the soil is raised to a trunk height of up to 20 cm. With the onset of frost, the air saturating the soil will prevent low temperatures from penetrating the root system.

When to start wrapping plants

Having carried out a number of mandatory procedures to prepare roses for wintering in Siberia, expect frost. As a rule, cold weather sets in no later than the end of the second ten days of October, the temperature drops to approximately -5 o C.

It is not recommended to rush and cover flowers ahead of schedule. It is better to hide the plants later, because the shoots are not afraid of light frosts.

Types of greenhouses

It doesn’t matter which type of shelter is ultimately chosen, in any case it is necessary to take care of the internal air gap - an essential component for a successful wintering. The close contact of the rose and the covering material will protect the bushes from evaporation at the end of winter. It is also necessary to ensure that the shelter for the roses is not too dense, otherwise the bush will “suffocate” due to insufficient oxygen levels in the cocoon.

Air-dry shelter

This type of winter protection is suitable for hybrid tea and floribunda roses. Most gardeners use this type of shelter, inside which the temperature is maintained down to -5 o C and ventilation is provided.

1. Build a frame up to 60 cm in height, from metal rods or wire.
2. Place a cone-shaped body around the bush.
3. Stretch insulating material over the structure. Use lutrasil, glassine, cardboard, etc.
4. Secure the material to the frame with twine.
5. Wrap the greenhouse in polyethylene, which does not allow precipitation and moisture to pass into the “cocoon”.
6. Sprinkle the film with soil from below.

Important! By covering each rose with spruce branches, you will be able to avoid rodent attacks.

If you don't know how to properly cover roses for the winter, use this method or check out the alternative.

If you can’t build a shelter according to the scheme described above, you can go the easy way - use containers with holes to cover the roses. By covering such a structure with film with the onset of the first frost, it will be possible to provide the flowers with a comfortable winter.

Shield shelter for climbing varieties

Work on caring for and preparing roses for winter takes place in several stages:

1. Prepared and processed bushes are tied into a bundle and bent in the direction where the branches stretch.
2. Spruce branches are spread on the ground and placed on top of the bush. This will reliably protect the whips from rodents.
3. In the lower part, where the material comes into contact with the ground, having prepared pins made of thick wire, you need to pin it.
4. Make wooden shields (2 pcs.), the length of which should correspond to the height of the bush.
5. Fold the shields over the bush so that they resemble the structure of a house.
6. Strengthen the structure with pegs, driving them into the ground. This maneuver will help the shields to hold on and not slide off the bush under the weight of snow or strong wind.
7. Cover the houses with plastic film, carefully covering the ends and sprinkling the oilcloth with soil.
8. Lay the branches on the ground in the direction in which they weave. This way the bark of the stems will not crack.

It is important to knowhow to properly cover roses for the winter. This option is good for climbing roses growing in rows. For flowers that are placed in a flowerbed and surrounded by other plants, you will have to use a different method, because heavy wooden structures can easily damage them.

In some regions of the country, in addition to the basic rules for caring for roses, you have to perform additional actions, neglect of which can lead to the death of the rose garden bushes.

Having figured out how to insulate roses for the winter in Siberia, and having carried out comprehensive preparations for the frosty season, wish the bushes a restful winter sleep and wait for spring to again enjoy the beauty of the flowers in the front garden.

Remember that only you are responsible for your rosary. The final result depends only on the efforts and skills of the owner.

The rose is a luxurious decoration for any garden or summer cottage, it was so, it will always be so, it is not for nothing that it is called the queen of flowers. How to preserve roses in the garden in winter, what to cover them with so that they continue to delight us with the onset of the new season? Let's consider ways to protect roses from frost, all stages of preparing them for winter.

What to cover, photo:

This is a rather delicate and whimsical crop; if the bushes are not covered for the winter, the likelihood that they will die is very high. If the preparation of roses for winter was carried out incorrectly, the plant was poorly insulated, the chances of freezing increase. When starting the process, you need to take into account the type of flower and its frost resistance. The most “freezing” groups are tea, hybrid species, and some climbing varieties. A number of Floribunda varieties, low-growing varieties, are more “hardened” and can withstand harsh climates in winter. But among the park representatives you can find real “walruses” who can spend the winter without shelter.

Autumn pruning of roses and shelter for the winter is perhaps one of the most important procedures, ensuring harmonious development and abundant flowering with the arrival of the new season. Densely planted bushes can withstand cold weather more easily; it is more convenient to cover them all at once with one cloth. It is somewhat more difficult to wrap erect tall representatives, and climbing ones too, but in any case the work will be justified.

Shelter of a climbing bush, photo:

This is how you can cover the climbing beauty for the winter

What kind of work does preparing roses for winter include?

It’s worth thinking about this process in the summer, or rather, at the end of summer, when vigilant gardeners stop feeding the bushes with nitrogen fertilizers. Small amounts of potassium supplements will not hurt with the arrival of autumn; they will help the plant strengthen its branches and trunk before the upcoming cold weather. By this time, you should also stop loosening the soil near the tree trunk, so as not to provoke a new round of shoot growth.

Preparing rose bushes for winter involves pruning them. This will be discussed in more detail below. You should remove everything unnecessary from under the bushes: garbage, fallen leaves, remnants of grass. Cleaning is done not only to maintain cleanliness, but also to ensure that plant debris does not become a haven for harmful fungi. After this, it is recommended to spray the plants with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture or ferrous sulfate diluted with water (3%).

Preparing roses for winter also involves hilling them - this procedure improves the aeration of the root system. Even a small 20-30 cm mound will protect the roots from the cold and help the soil retain air better.

A mound of earth at the roots - in the south this is often enough to prevent the bushes from freezing

You should think about covering the bushes already in October, towards the end of the month - when the first frosts make themselves known in your region. How to properly cover roses for the winter? It will be better if by this time the air temperature becomes relatively stable, approximately -5°C. The plant will experience a kind of “hardening”; at higher temperatures it is not worth insulating roses, since additional heat can provoke shoot growth. Moreover, earlier shelter is fraught with rotting of the root system, again, due to lack of air. To insulate the bushes, choose a dry, frosty day; the soil should not be wet (this is important!) to avoid the activation of fungi.

What is the best covering material for roses for the winter? The choice here is quite wide: thick polyethylene film, spunbond, geotextiles, lutrasil, dry leaves, burlap, cardboard, plywood, spruce branches. The variety and characteristics of the type of roses determine the method of shelter. For some representatives, insulation from coniferous spruce branches is enough, while for others you will have to mount a hut from cardboard or boards with plywood. There are many ways to insulate, let's look at the most basic, “universal” options.

Shelter with spruce branches, photo:

Cover the baby with spruce branches

How to cover roses to preserve them in winter?

Whatever the shelter material, you should always leave free air space between it and the plant. Damping off is no less dangerous than freezing, and with the onset of a thaw (if the cover is too dense), the plants run the risk of being frozen or getting wet.

Air-dry shelter

This method will provide the bushes with high-quality aeration, while the temperature under the shelter will remain at approximately the same level. You will have to mount a frame (canopy) over the plant; it can be made from plywood sheets or fragments of a board, and then cover the resulting structure with a special covering material or plastic film. Covering material for roses for the winter should be secured to the ground with something heavy (bricks, stones or metal brackets). Such a “house” must be very strong, because it will have to withstand the weight of the snow masses. Its dimensions, and especially its height, must exceed the dimensions of the bush. With the onset of spring, you will be able to fold the material on one side (or lift it from below), thereby ventilating the plant.

Insulation using spruce branches

Spruce branches (coniferous branches) are an excellent natural covering material for roses for the winter, which will cost you completely free. Around the beginning of November, you should stock up on spruce branches. After harvesting and pruning bushes, the ground around the tree trunk should be covered with coniferous branches. The shoots that remain after pruning must be carefully wrapped with a wide fabric rope. If the plant has long branches, then after tying them they should be carefully bent to the ground, as far as their flexibility allows (without the threat of breaking). Secure the branches with wide metal staples (bend pieces of thick wire like a hairpin), throw spruce branches on top. The main thing is not to forget to cover the ground with spruce branches in the place where the ground part of the bush will lie. This especially applies to climbing varieties.

Fixing the climbing variety, photo:

If you have doubts, you can additionally cover the flower with non-woven material directly on top of the spruce branches, securing the ends of the cover with heavy objects. In the spring you can lift them, thereby providing the bush with proper ventilation. How to prepare low-growing roses for winter? Such bushes should first be hilled up (you can use peat) and covered generously with the same spruce branches on top. After the snow falls, a snowdrift can be formed on top of the branches

Shelter of a small bush, photo:

Use of agrofibre, spunbond, geotextiles

This material is widely used in various fields related to plants. Covering bushes with it for the winter is an excellent solution, since it allows air to pass through well, at the same time protects from frost, and prevents condensation from accumulating during a thaw. How to use this covering material for roses for the winter? Again, it is better to make a frame: metal arcs or fragments of a chain-link mesh are suitable for creating a “canopy” over the bush. The ends of such a frame are securely fixed in the soil, the covering material is folded in half (this is an important point!) and the structure is covered. The edges of the covering are secured using the methods described above - using heavy objects or a long board (it will be convenient to lift it in the spring for ventilation).

Frame over a small bush, photo:

How to cover roses for the winter if they are small (for example, dwarf varieties)? For these purposes, you can use cardboard boxes as a frame, after making holes in them. Plastic vegetable containers or baskets that have become unusable can also be used quite successfully. Any of these structures can be covered with agrofibre on top and secured using the methods described above. To protect standard crops, you can use jute bags: cut off the bottom, put it on the plant, tie it from the bottom (where the crown begins), cover it with dry leaves or, better yet, spruce branches, tie it again, but at the top. The trunk can also be wrapped in burlap, and then re-wrapped in the resulting cocoon with lutrasil (for reliability).

Which roses do not need to be covered for the winter? Park crops have sufficient winter hardiness to do without protective covering in winter. In fact, some experts argue that the “park” classification does not exist as such, supposedly this is the definition of the most unpretentious varieties.

According to reviews on the relevant forums, these are: “Alba Mediland”, hybrid Rugosa, Spinosissima (prickly rose), winter-hardy varieties of Canadian and American roses, etc. The so-called winter hardiness scale of these flowers has three levels, which are determined by numbers: absolute winter hardiness (3- zone), winter hardiness (4th zone), average winter hardiness (4-5th zone). If you buy seedlings, there will definitely be an indicator number on the label.

Preparing roses for winter - pruning

This procedure is mandatory for most varieties. The exceptions are small-flowered climbing species, parks, groundcovers, as well as those representatives that produce color once a year. Formative spring pruning is recommended for all varieties, but at the moment we are talking specifically about the autumn procedure. Pruning roses in autumn is aimed at maintaining the vitality of the plant, strengthening it, and increasing frost resistance. Proper removal of old branches contributes to the formation of healthy, strong shoots, as well as the formation of new buds in the next season.

How to prune roses in autumn? Both old bushes and new young bushes should be subjected to this procedure. Unripe shoots, blossoming flowers, weak or diseased branches must be cut out. All of the listed plant parts, if not removed, can become a source of rot, fungi, and various diseases. After autumn pruning, 3 or 5 of the strongest healthy shoots should remain on the bush. All removed parts should be destroyed immediately. Old branches, stems that are already 3 years old, multiple lateral shoots, and shoots with dry bark must also be removed. Pruning is important before covering plants for the winter - a “trimmed” bush will be much more comfortable under an insulating structure.

How to properly prune roses in the fall? There are several rules that are best adhered to - for example, the cutting tool must be very sharp. A dull knife or pruning shears will leave a torn cut, injure the bark, and the damaged area can become a source of penetration of pathogenic microorganisms. Coarse old branches are best removed using a hacksaw with a new, sharp blade. The cut should be made above the bud (which has not yet had time to germinate), retreating about 1 cm from it. Pay attention to the presence of healthy white wood at the cut site; the cut itself should be made as if at an angle. The approximate time for pruning is the beginning of November; for this, choose a sunny, fine day.

Short crop, photo:

Before pruning roses for the winter, be sure to disinfect cutting tools (you can even use a solution of potassium permanganate). Lubricate the cut areas with garden varnish. And one more thing - we should not forget about “balance”; we should not get too carried away with circumcision. Ideally, the dimensions of the root system should correspond to the volumes of the remaining above-ground part after pruning! Otherwise, the plant’s nutritional system will be disrupted, it will get sick or even die. When starting the procedure, take into account the varietal characteristics, specificity, and speed of its growth. Thus, one of three types of pruning can be applied to each individual bush.

How to properly prune roses in the fall:

1. Short pruning (strong) is recommended for varieties of multi-flowered polyanthus roses, miniature species, tea and hybrid representatives. Climbing ramblers should also be pruned short with the arrival of autumn. After the procedure, only the base of the bush with a couple of dormant buds remains, all shoots and branches are removed.
2. Medium pruning (moderate) is aimed at activating the growth of fresh shoots with the arrival of spring. With this method of pruning, plant branches are shortened by 1.2 parts of their length. Weak stems are removed completely, and short shoots (about 30 cm) with four or five buds are left at the base of the bush. This procedure is suitable for many medium-sized varieties, hybrid teas, and also for Pernepian roses.
3. Long pruning (weak) allows you to leave tall branches on the bushes, shortened by about two-thirds of the original length (only the upper segment is removed). Approximately 8-9 buds are left on each shoot. This pruning method is recommended for tall hybrid-tea species, antique English roses, individual species, and delicate Bengal representatives. This procedure promotes early flowering, but if it is carried out regularly, the roses begin to lose their shape, the buds become smaller, and the number of flowers decreases.

Do you need to prune climbing roses for the winter? Since this category of plants is a favorite of many summer gardeners, they are worth mentioning separately. Shortening the shoots of climbing varieties should be approached individually, taking into account the characteristics of their species subgroup.

They need to be pruned very carefully, moderately, choosing the longest branches. As for dry, weakened, diseased or damaged shoots, as well as remaining flowers or fruits, all of them must be radically removed. Please note that active shortening of branches in climbing representatives leads to the growth of multiple “empty” (non-flowering) shoots.

Now you will know how to prune roses correctly for the winter. To summarize, it is worth clarifying that in central Russia this procedure is best carried out around the 20th of November. If there haven't been any frosts yet, don't even think about pruning, because otherwise buds will begin to sprout on the bushes. When frost comes, then get down to business. Do not forget about removing young green stems that have not yet covered with bark. At the first frost they will die, and with the onset of warmth they will begin to rot, spreading bacteria and fungi in the insulating cocoon. Put on a rough gardening glove and be sure to remove all the foliage from the branches - this will make it easier for the bush to “breathe.”

It is not so important what kind of variety grows on your site. The specifics of preparing this crop for winter are the same for all types: clearing the soil of plant residues and debris, hilling (covering) the root collar, covering the ground around the tree trunk with foliage or spruce branches, laying the plant on the ground. You now know how to preserve roses in the garden in winter and how to cover them. Lapnik, lutrasil or spunbond, durable polyethylene will not allow this delicate crop to freeze when frost arrives. Sheltering and pruning roses for the winter is an important agrotechnical measure on which their health and beauty depend.

It wouldn’t hurt to watch the so-called visual aid - how to prune roses in the fall, video:

To make it easier to cover the rose, bend the branches and secure them with stones

In fact, you need to think about the safety of roses in winter when purchasing roses. Firstly, roses should not be greenhouse grown. They are sold a lot in the spring and early summer after the greenhouses are released after the winter forcing of roses. Such roses themselves may not be winter-hardy, and their rootstocks may often not be frost-resistant, especially for imported roses. It is impossible to distinguish them externally. The only way out is to know your rose supplier well.

Secondly, garden (not greenhouse) roses can also have varieties that are more or less winter hardy. Many rose manufacturers in their catalogs classify the most unpretentious roses into varietal groups of park or landscape roses. In general, such roses tolerate winters better than roses of other varietal groups, for example, hybrid teas. However, there are many exceptions.

Thirdly, it is necessary to take into account the dimensions of the roses from the point of view of the convenience of covering them for the winter. Low-growing roses (miniature and groundcover) are easy to cover. But tall, erect (non-spreading) roses with a height of more than 1.2-1.5 m (semi-climbing and large-flowered climbing) are much more difficult to cover for the winter.

You also need to think about preserving roses in winter when planting roses.

Firstly, roses growing in a group are much easier to protect from frost than the same number of roses scattered throughout different parts of the garden.

Secondly, fertilizers cannot be added to the planting holes, which can cause active growth of roses in late summer and autumn. With the added nitrogen (in mineral fertilizers and humus) it is better to err on the smaller side.

Finally, for the successful overwintering of roses, preparing them for the next winter is very important.

Firstly, you should not cut trees in late summer and autumn. It causes the growth of new shoots that will not have time to ripen by winter. They themselves and, most likely, the branches of the previous order will die. And on the first of September it is better to get by with dahlias and gladioli.

Secondly, starting from mid-summer, it is better to stop fertilizing roses. Roses don't require much fertilizer. Therefore, spring and early summer feeding of roses with complex mineral and (or) organic fertilizers is quite enough for the entire season.

Thirdly, in October (for central Russia) it is necessary to gradually, starting from the bottom, clear the branches of roses from leaves. The leaves are separated from the branches by moving from top to bottom and, together with the fallen leaves, are removed away from the roses. It is best to burn them to prevent the spread of pathogenic fungal spores from them.

Sheltering roses for the winter

In principle, there are no ideal ways to protect roses for all occasions. Much depends on the capabilities of the gardener and the availability of covering materials, on specific weather conditions, on the frost resistance of roses, their size and ability to bend to the ground. The gardener himself must decide which covering method to use, but to do this he must keep in mind the following considerations:

1. During the cold period (and not just in winter), roses are damaged by frost, damage to rose branches by pathogenic fungi and breakage of rose branches, both during shelter and under the weight of snow.
2. A large rose that is well prepared for winter will almost never die, even without shelter (in the middle zone). The exception is the rather rare case of “black” frosts, when due to the lack of snow at the beginning of winter, not only the above-ground, but also the underground part of the bush can freeze.
3. A rose that comes out of winter with large losses of the above-ground parts is greatly weakened and the next winter may be its last. The rose does not have time to grow its ground part before our northern summer is already ending. Therefore, the gardener’s task is not just to keep the rose alive, but to preserve, if possible, the above-ground part of the rose.
4. In autumn, roses gradually prepare for frost. According to my observations, the critical temperature for hybrid tea roses in mid-September will be - minus 5 degrees C, in mid-October - minus 7 degrees C, in the first half of November - minus 10 degrees C, in the second half of November about - minus 15 degrees .WITH. and even -18 degrees C. Pruning roses (not only for flowers, but also for shelter for the winter), premature wrapping of bushes not only stops the natural process of preparing roses for frost, but can also completely deprive them of acquired hardening. Especially if there are a lot of warm days in the fall. The rose recklessly comes to life and even a slight frost can destroy it. On the contrary, if you leave set fruits on a rose after flowering, it no longer thinks about new growth of shoots, the buds do not awaken, and such a rose overwinters better.
5. Diseases are no less a threat to roses than frosts. At the end of winter and beginning of spring, under shelters at slightly above-zero temperatures, a dangerous fungal disease, infectious rose burn, actively develops on rose branches. Dark brown spots appear on the trunks, which, as they grow, lead to the death of the entire branch above the lesion. If you open roses in a timely manner, without waiting for the snow to melt, you can interrupt the period favorable for the development of the disease. This is the main thing. Spraying the roses with fungicides, for example, iron or copper sulfate before covering, also helps, and, in addition, it is a good idea to spud the roses with clean sand in the fall. Sand protects the lower part of the rose from illness and frost. It is impossible to hill up soil taken from under a rose, as it may contain a lot of “unfriendly” bacteria and fungal spores. It is also bad to hill up with peat and sawdust. By freezing, they create an insurmountable shield for heat by spring. In this case, the rose may die due to the fact that in the spring the above-ground part quickly awakens under the sun, and the roots are still dormant in the cold soil for several weeks. When the roots finally warm up, the above-ground part may already die off.

Knowing all these difficulties, you can consciously approach the choice of shelter for your roses.

The most reliable (albeit also the most material-intensive) method of covering is considered to be air-dry. This method involves creating a canopy of boards or shields over the roses, capable of withstanding the pressure from above the snow in winter. The canopy rests on pillars made of bricks or dug-in pieces of logs. Cover the top with plastic film or non-woven material (preferably film, or old one). The edges of the film hang down to the ground and are pressed against it, for example, with bricks. The height of the canopy should allow rose branches to be bent under it to prevent them from breaking. For large climbing roses with large branches - this is 60-80 cm, for the rest - 30-60 cm. In case of severe frosts, additional snow must be added to the shelter from the ends (without exposing, of course, the ground around other valuable plants). In early to mid-March, I clear the snow from the flooring. This allows me to move away from temperatures favorable for the development of rose burn to “plus” or “minus”. Additionally, the film can be lifted from the ends for ventilation.

Roses under an air-dry shelter overwinter (if everything was done on time) with virtually no attacks or losses of the ground part.

Now about “on time”. It is necessary to cover roses when the temperature is expected (this usually happens at night) below -10 -12.

The air-dry method ideally protects rose bushes from damage, both when covered in the fall and under the weight of snow in winter and spring. It protects very well from frost. But for black burns it’s good, but not always. The fact is that in the spring you really don’t want to open roses when they are well covered, and even more so when the snow has not yet melted. Meanwhile, in February–March there are already slight above-zero temperatures under cover, favorable for the harmful fungus.

To protect roses from disease when roses open late, it’s a good idea to:

• Treat boards for covering roses annually with an antiseptic;
• When working with roses, disinfect the pruning shear blade more often (with potassium permanganate, alcohol, over fire, etc.);
• In autumn, hill up roses with clean sand (protects the lower part of the bush, which is more susceptible to disease);
• Mulch the soil in the fall with spruce branches or any mulch (isolation from possible sources of fungal spores).
• Collect and burn fallen rose leaves.
• The latter is absolutely necessary throughout the growing season of roses to combat all their diseases.

In general, air-dry shelter is the best for preserving roses in winter. However, it requires timely covering and opening of roses, and a large investment of time and materials. Not everyone can afford this and would prefer a simpler method of shelter, sacrificing the reliability of wintering. For them we can offer the following. Roses take cover at the end of October, after the lower leaves have been shed. The branches of roses bend to the ground, covered with one layer of spruce branches. This spruce branch prevents the roses from coming into contact with the ground, but freely allows the warmth of the earth to pass through to the roses. A layer of spruce branches and non-woven material is laid on top of the roses. This layer of spruce branches protects the non-woven material and, at the same time, hands from rose needles. In addition, it insulates roses. In order to protect roses from breakage, it is useful to place suitable sized pads under the branches before bending them down. They protect the branches from breaking at the base. The branches are held in a bent state by pinning or some kind of weight. Sometimes the weight of the spruce branches is enough. The non-woven material is pressed down around the perimeter with stones. As always, it is useful to cover the base of the bush with sand in advance.

Roses should be opened gradually in the spring. And at the same time remember that at this time they can be damaged from:

• Severe return frosts (with too early and abrupt removal of insulation)
• Burns of stems (if, on the contrary, the insulation is removed too late)
• Sunburn (if the shading is removed before the soil warms up)

You should usually start opening roses in central Russia in the first half of March (depending on the weather).

At the same time, part of the snow is cleared and the covering film is opened slightly to ventilate the roses.

After the roses have fully opened, they are pruned. But this is a different stage in the life of roses.

Of course, the preservation of roses in winter largely depends on luck (or rather, on the weather). But it depends only on you whether you risk half of your roses or only one or two percent.

Caring for roses in the garden is pleasant and difficult at the same time. It’s nice because the blossoming buds give unspeakable joy. And it is difficult due to the fact that during the selection process, roses have lost the ability to go into a state of rest with the onset of cold weather and are often greeted with lush color. The gardener's task is to take care of them, which is why autumn preparation for wintering is an important part of caring for roses, which determines whether they will retain their vitality until spring.

Photo by Shutterstock

Caring for roses in autumn

Your main task as autumn approaches is to slow down the growing season. Already in August, change the fertilizing - instead of nitrogen fertilizers that stimulate growth, apply phosphate-potassium fertilizers. For each bush, measure 5-10 g of potassium sulfate and superphosphate and scatter it under the plant, burying it shallowly in the ground. With the onset of September, stop pruning, loosening the soil and digging up soil between the bushes. As a result, shoot growth will stop. Pinch out those that continue to actively grow; they still won’t have time to become woody before frost and, being weak, will inevitably die in the winter.

Abundant flowering weakens the plant due to significant consumption of nutrients. To prevent this, bend the bud at the very base; as a result, growth will stop and the side buds will not wake up

Sheltering roses for the winter

Garden roses have a peculiarity - with the onset of frost, their growing season stops, but at the first warming, at a temperature just above zero, the queen of flowers wakes up, sap flow is restored, and she prepares for a new flowering. What happens next: the frosts return, under the influence of sub-zero temperatures the juices in the plant freeze, the ice that forms in their place tears the tissues, and dangerous microorganisms quickly penetrate into the cracks created, which are essentially open wounds, which later cause the death of the plants. Meanwhile, infection can be avoided if the juices are allowed to dry quickly and the shoots are allowed to heal. Or prevent the juices from freezing altogether by starting timely preparations for wintering. In any case, in the fall you should worry about building a dry shelter for roses that can provide them with minimal temperature fluctuations.

Two methods of covering have become widespread among gardeners: - stage-by-stage; - air-dry.

Start step-by-step shelter by preparing the bush. By the end of October, remove the leaves from it. Treat the lower part of the plant and the soil around it with iron sulfate (3% solution). Sprinkle the base of the bush with river sand. This will protect the rose from sudden first frosts. At this time, there is no need to cover it and here's why: at a temperature slightly above zero degrees, the growth of the bush stops, and nutrients are stored in the tissues of the plant, which is extremely important for the future awakening in the spring. The process of such natural hardening occurs only in the light, which is why roses are left open for a long time.

With the onset of November, when the air temperature drops to minus 4-8°C, the next stage of hardening occurs - the shoots lose a significant part of the water contained in it, and the starch stored in advance breaks down into sugars, and this protects the plant cells from freezing. At this stage, light is no longer needed, so you can safely complete the shelter. To do this, remove the remaining leaves from the bushes and prune them, leaving the stems 40-45 cm high. Treat them with a solution of a pesticide (for example, nitrophen) and cover them with insulating material.

Experienced gardeners say that the best material is peat, because... it has a high level of moisture holding capacity. It is capable of freezing quickly and thawing slowly, which ensures a relatively constant temperature under the shelter

To prevent the shelter (peat, shavings, dry leaves, etc.) from being blown away by the winds, you can put wooden shields or spruce branches on top, which, in turn, will provide additional protection for the bushes from mice.

Photo by Shutterstock

An air-dry shelter is a frame approximately 0.5 m high. It can be constructed from reinforcement, pipes, wooden beams and other material. The main condition is the strength of the structure; it must withstand sudden gusts of wind and the weight of snow cover. As in the case of stage-by-stage covering, before the first frost, remove the leaves from the bottom of the bushes, treat the plants with iron sulfate and hill up. There is no need to prune, but tie the shoots and bend them to the ground before they lose their flexibility due to frost. Trim stiff, hard shoots to the desired height (40-45 cm). With the arrival of frost, free the bushes from remaining leaves and all immature shoots, because... You won't be able to save them anyway.

Cover the frames with roofing felt, leaving the ends open. When constant frost sets in, close them too. Place plastic film on the roofing material, carefully securing it around the edges with clothespins or ropes to prevent moisture from entering.

Air-dry frame shelter is not suitable for damp areas (wetlands or shallow groundwater). Condensation will collect under it, which can lead to damping off of the rose bushes

Attention! Do not prune climbing roses. Remove them from their supports, pick off the leaves and treat them with a fungicide. Then lay the lashes on roofing felt and cover them with river sand. When real frosts set in, place another sheet of roofing material on top and secure it so that it does not get turned over by the wind.