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It is quite cold in the middle lane in winter, so it is important to properly prepare roses for wintering. Modern varieties delight with flowers for a long time, right up to the first frost. They themselves are not able to prepare for the cold, they continue the vegetative period.
Rose care at the end of summer
Preparation of roses for winter in the middle lane begins at the end of summer. Nitrogen-containing fertilizers are excluded from top dressing, they activate the growth of leaves and shoots. In August, potassium and phosphorus are fertilized, which strengthen the root system and contribute to the ripening of rose shoots. Superphosphate (25 g), potassium sulfate (10 g), boric acid (2,5 g) are dissolved in a bucket of water and rose bushes are watered.
In September, top dressing is carried out again. Superphosphate and potassium sulfate, taken 15 g each, are dissolved in a bucket of water. Foliar top dressings effectively affect plants in the form of spraying with a solution of fertilizers, the dosage of which is reduced by 3 times.
With the beginning of autumn in the middle lane, under a rose bush, the soil is not loosened so as not to cause the development of young weak roots and the development of shoots. From the second half of September, all buds that appear should be removed.
How to prune roses in autumn
Preparing roses for winter in the middle lane includes an important agricultural technique – pruning. Pruning not only makes it possible to simplify the shelter process, but also stimulates the growth of new shoots with a large number of buds in the next season. Many shoots will not obscure each other, the crown will receive the maximum amount of light and heat, ventilation will improve, which will not allow diseases to attack the plant. Trimmed bushes are much easier to tolerate the winter cold of the middle lane.
The secateurs must be well sharpened and disinfected. The cut point must be even. Old lignified shoots are removed with a hacksaw.
Pruning of roses in the middle lane is carried out in late autumn, in late October or early November, shortly before the shelter of roses.
First of all, dried, broken, diseased branches are removed. Then all leaves and buds are removed, after which green shoots are cut out that have not matured and will be the first contenders for frost damage.
Pay attention to the features of pruning roses:
- Green shoots are cut to a white core;
- Cuts are made at an angle, then water will not stagnate in them;
- The cut passes over the kidney at a distance of 1,5 cm;
- The bud should be directed to the outside of the rose bush so that the future shoot does not grow inward;
- A dry windless day is suitable for pruning.
In no case do not leave the cut parts of plants on the site, usually spores of fungi and bacteria overwinter in them.
There are 3 types of rose pruning:
- Very short, when the entire bush is cut to the base, leaving 2-3 buds. This type of pruning is suitable for varieties of hybrid tea roses and floribunda. Other varieties are also pruned if they are damaged by diseases or pests;
- Medium pruning is most often applied to Old English and hybrid tea roses, the shoots are shortened by half, leaving their length by 30 cm, 4-5 buds remain. By shortening the old shoots, they make it possible for the young and strong to develop;
- Long or light pruning is applied to rare varieties of roses, a sparing type of pruning allows flowers to appear earlier, but over time the bushes lose their shape.
In climbing roses, sanitary pruning is carried out, removing dried, broken and damaged branches, healthy shoots are barely shortened, 2 old lashes are shortened by 5 buds in order to stimulate the growth of shoots from replacement buds.
Properly carried out pruning rejuvenates the bush, maintains its neat shape, health, and facilitates the work of sheltering roses.
How to cover roses for the winter in the middle lane
By removing the leaves and buds, the roses will be given a signal to complete the growing season. However, plants should not be covered immediately. All cuts and saw cuts must dry. And, if there is a protracted warm autumn in central Our Country, then in the shelter the roses can fade. To prevent the death of plants in the shelter, prepared bushes should be kept for 2-3 weeks at a temperature of up to -5 ° C. Then the plants will completely go into sleep mode, the movement of juices will stop.
In early December, at temperatures down to -7 ° C, roses begin to cover the central regions of central Our Country. The center of the bush is covered with a layer of mulch up to 40 cm, using peat, humus, compost or just soil. Next, organize a litter of fallen leaves, spruce branches. Branches are bent and fixed with staples, covered with foliage or spruce branches from above. An additional measure of protection: arcs are installed over the lying branches and some kind of covering material is pulled. In this way, it is possible to protect hybrid tea varieties of roses, floribunda, climbing roses from winter frosts.
Watch a video about preparing roses for winter:
If the shoots are fragile and break easily, then they should not be bent to the ground; a shelter is constructed above them from arcs, over which covering materials are pulled. The soil near the bush is covered with mulch.
There are varieties of park roses and hybrids that do not need shelter in central Our Country, mulching the soil around the above-ground part of the shoots is enough for them.
In the Ural region, winter colds come earlier, so rose bushes should be covered at the end of October. In the middle of the month, rose bushes are pruned, green shoots and buds are removed, garbage is removed and burned. The trunk circle is covered with a layer of mulch up to half a meter.
Shelter is organized above the bushes. If these are free-standing bushes that have undergone short pruning, then it is convenient to use wooden or plastic boxes for shelter, which are covered with plastic wrap on top, fixing it with bricks or nailing it with slats so that gusts of wind do not tear off the covering material.
You should also protect the bushes from the possible appearance of rodents. Mice and rats can not only damage the shoots, but also the roots, digging passages. It is necessary to lay out preparations for repelling rodents (“Rat death”, creolin, which is impregnated with sawdust and laid out near the bushes under cover). The use of spruce branches when sheltering roses also repels rodents. There are also folk methods: pour a layer of ash on the soil or spread out cat excrement, then rodents will bypass your landings.
Another reliable and very effective way to shelter rose bushes: a plank or plywood hut, which is covered with agrofiber or film on top. In order for the roses to have enough air space, the upper part of the shelter should be at a height of 10-20 cm above the bushes. In such huts, roses do not freeze and never rot.
In the Siberian region, a feature of the climate is that winter cold can come quite late. If roses are covered too early, they can rot under cover. You should carefully monitor the weather forecast. As soon as the temperatures drop to -7 ° C, the plants are covered with spruce branches, young specimens can be covered with 5 liter plastic bottles with a cut bottom and removed lids.
The Siberian region is distinguished by a large abundance of snow, which will reliably cover the plants. The task of flower growers is to save the plants before a permanent snow cover falls.
Separately, it should be said about the shelter of climbing roses in the middle lane. They are not cut off much, since the peculiarity of the species is that the buds are formed on the shoots of the previous year. If a climbing rose is subjected to heavy pruning, then next year you will be deprived of beautiful flowering. The bush is bent to the soil, laid on the spruce branches and covered with it on top. Then they cover with some material that is securely fixed at the edges. Instead of spruce branches, you can use fallen leaves.
What covering material do flower growers use to cover roses in the middle lane:
- Spandbond good in that it passes air, moisture, light. Creates the effect of snow cover. It protects plants well during the off-season, when constant temperatures have not been established. Roses do not freeze, the soil around the plant does not freeze. The material is strong, will last at least 5 years;
- Polyethylene film – the cheapest and most popular material, but does not breathe. Therefore, when preparing roses for winter, be sure to leave holes for the plants to breathe. Negative qualities of a polyethylene film: does not pass air, has a limited service life. Positive qualities: economic benefit, the ability to retain heat;
- Lutrasil – non-woven material, has a different density, to cover roses, a density of 40-60 g per 1 square meter should be used. m in 2-3 layers. The material transmits light, air, moisture well. For shelter, when using lutrasil, it is not at all necessary to set arcs, if climbing roses are bent to the ground, then boards, spruce branches, and dry foliage should be placed under them. Lutrasil – high-quality material, will last for more than one year, environmentally friendly, cost-effective;
- Geotextile made from synthetic fibers. Very durable and easy to cut with scissors. Serves for a long time, is not subject to decay;
- Dry leaves they will protect the soil and plants well from the first cold weather, but the foliage decomposes too quickly, attracting insects and rodents. Leaves are not used as an independent shelter. It will require the construction of a protective frame over plants covered with leaves. Leaves for shelter use only well-dried from birch, oak, maple. In the spring, it will take time to remove the foliage;
- Branches of pine trees – spruce branches do not require financial investments, they perfectly cope with their task – to protect roses from the winter cold. An air space is created under the layer of spruce branches, which is well ventilated. The needles repel rodents;
- Boards and plywood quite an expensive way to shelter roses, however, very reliable. This method of shelter is best used in regions with cold winters and winds;
- Sackcloth used by flower growers when there were no other shelter options. The plus of burlap: it allows air to pass through, but the minus is that the material itself can absorb moisture, then the plants under such shelter can sweat.
The task of each type of shelter is to create an air gap near the rose bushes, where the air will be warmer than in the environment.
Conclusion
The preparation of roses for winter in the middle lane begins in the summer. Plants are properly fed, depriving of nitrogen fertilizers, buds are removed. Such actions are aimed at ensuring that the plants enter the final stage of vegetation. Proper pruning, removal of shoots and leaves, complete the growing season, roses are ready for hibernation. The task of flower growers is to preserve dormant plants, protecting them from frost in the middle lane through the organization of shelter, in order to enjoy the abundant flowering of roses again next season.