Modern varieties of roses bloom for a long time. And this is definitely a plus. However, plants are unprepared for winter. Their shoots and leaves turn green, flowers bloom. It is important not only to organize the wintering of plants, but also to properly prepare roses for winter, especially in the Moscow region, where frosts alternate with thaws.
With the onset of sub-zero temperatures, sap flow in plant tissues stops, roses go into sleep mode. However, when a thaw occurs in the Moscow region, the plants are again ready for vegetation, nutrients in dissolved form begin to move in them again, which freeze when the temperature drops below 0 ° C, tearing the plant tissues. Bacteria and viruses penetrate wounds, roses get sick and can die.
Preparing roses for winter in the suburbs
Preparation of roses for winter in the Moscow region begins in the summer. They change the qualitative composition of fertilizers, stop adding nitrogen, which contributes to the growth of shoots and foliage, and increase the amount of potassium and phosphorus in top dressing. So roses will strengthen the root system, and those shoots that have managed to grow will be able to ripen. Options for dressing roses in preparation for winter in the Moscow region:
- In mid-August, potassium monophosphate and superphosphate (15 g each) are added, dissolved in 10 liters of water. If it is rainy autumn, then it is better to apply fertilizers in granular form under the plants. A month later, top dressing is repeated;
- 1 st. l. calcium nitrate, diluted in 10 liters of water;
- A valuable nutritious fertilizer rich in potassium is banana skins. They are brought under a bush, embedded in the soil, previously crushed. Or brewed as tea, if dry banana skins are available;
- Wood ash – 1 tbsp. scatter in the near-stem circle of roses in a dry form, if it rains frequently, when it is a dry autumn, it is better to prepare an ash solution (1 tbsp. wood ash / 5 l of water).
Top dressing of rose bushes in the Moscow region with a predominance of phosphorus and potassium is carried out twice, with a break of a month. Roses perceive foliar feeding very well, then the nutrients are fully absorbed. A solution for foliar spraying of roses is prepared by reducing the dose by 3 times.
With the onset of autumn in the Moscow region, they stop loosening the soil around roses. This is done so as not to cause the growth of new shoots from replacement buds and new thin roots. In the third decade of September, the growth point is pinched off the shoots of roses, small buds are removed, and those that have faded are allowed to ripen.
Another important agricultural technique is the autumn pruning of roses. It makes it possible not only to facilitate the shelter of roses in the Moscow region for the winter, but also to sanitize the rose bush, form it, lay the foundation for future shoot formation, and, consequently, flowering.
Pruning of plants in the Moscow region is carried out in the fall, shortly before the shelter of roses for the winter. Approximately end of October – beginning of November. It is worth making an allowance for the peculiarities of the climate in the regions of the Moscow region. There are no exact dates for pruning, you should wait until a constant small minus is established to -5 ° С.
In autumn, damaged leaves and shoots are cut, broken, deformed, with signs of disease. The flowers of the plant, dried and still flowering, unripe shoots are also removed. A sign of the maturity of the shoot of roses is a light core. You can make several test cuts to make sure the shoot is ripe.
The issue of leaf removal is ambiguous, many gardeners will not remove the foliage, as it is quite a lot of work when there are more than a dozen rose bushes. They conclude, based on many years of experience, that nothing bad happened to roses during the winter. Another opinion is that the foliage should still be removed, as it can cause the bush to rot.
Both young, newly planted plants and bushes that have been growing for many years are subject to pruning. Garden tools: hacksaw and pruner should be sharp and treated with an antiseptic. Cut roses in good clear weather. The type of pruning depends on the type of roses:
- Short pruning – 2-3 buds remain on the shoot;
- Average pruning – 5-7 buds;
- Long pruning – 8-10 buds.
After pruning, all plant residues must be removed from under the bush, and even better, burned, especially if there were signs of rose bush disease.
Cut rose bushes are treated with a solution of copper sulfate, iron sulfate, Bordeaux liquid or potassium permanganate. If the weather is warm, then the plant continues to grow, even in the absence of leaves. Therefore, you should not cover the roses too early, in a limited space the plant may die, rot.
Untimely shelter can cost the life of plants, the question of when to cover roses for the winter in the Moscow region is extremely important. Be aware of the weather conditions in the region. Well, if it is possible to withstand rose bushes at a temperature of -3 ° C, the plants will finally stop vegetative processes and go into hibernation. At a temperature of -7°C-10°C, roses should be covered. Grafted roses on the roots from wild rose can withstand even lower temperatures in the Moscow region, while own-rooted roses are afraid of the first frost and can die already at a temperature of -3 ° C.
To shelter roses in the Moscow region, spruce branches, foliage, cardboard, burlap, agrofibre and film are used. More complex shelters are made of arcs or boards, over which some kind of covering material is stretched. All elements of the shelter for the winter are securely fastened so that they do not collapse under a layer of snow and are not torn off by strong gusts of wind.
Watch a video on how to prepare roses for winter:
Planting roses in autumn in the suburbs
Planting roses in the Moscow region can be done both in spring and autumn. Autumn planting has even more advantages than spring planting. In the Moscow region, there is more high-quality planting material in the fall. Young plants have time to get stronger, increase the root mass, and in the spring, having grown greenery, they will begin to bloom no worse than old bushes.
In the Moscow region, roses are best planted at a temperature of + 13 ° С + 15 ° С. Such temperatures occur in mid-September – mid-October. Before the onset of cold weather in the Moscow region, seedlings have time to adapt, take root and successfully endure the winter period.
For planting, choose a well-drained area that will be well lit by the sun. The passage of air masses should be taken into account, roses do not like drafts.
Plants prefer highly fertile and well-drained soils. If there are sandstones on the site, they should be diluted with clay, while a clay layer of 5 cm is laid out at the bottom of the planting pit. If the soils are clayey, then their composition is improved by adding gravel and river sand. A layer of broken brick or gravel is laid at the bottom of the pit for drainage.
Distance when growing roses: 0,7 m between bushes and at least 1,5 m between rows. A large planting hole is dug, it will have to contain food for the rose for several years to come. The depth of the pit is at least 0,5-0,7 m, the dimensions are 0,4×0,4 m. Peat, humus, compost are taken abundantly, mixed with the existing soil 1×1 and placed in a pit. It is better to prepare the soil for roses in 2-3 weeks so that the soil settles and does not have air voids.
Before planting, the soil is once again loosened and a mound is formed, on which the root system is placed, carefully spreading all the roots. This is done if the seedling was purchased with an open root system. Before planting, shorten the roots to the size of the planting hole, at the same time checking them.
If you have a seedling purchased in a container, then it is taken out together with an earthen clod and placed in a pit so that after falling asleep with an earthen mixture, the root collar is slightly deepened, by about 5 cm. The soil around the plant is carefully crushed. And watered abundantly.
In order for a young rose to winter well in the Moscow region, it is necessary to cut the bushes with the onset of the first frosts in early October, removing inflorescences, buds, dried shoots and unripened shoots, as well as all foliage. Cover completely with soil, peat or compost.
Then organize a shelter, just like for adult roses in the suburbs. With the use of arches or wooden shelters. Or, install a support around the bush, on which to strengthen the cardboard or mesh, and pour foliage or spruce branches inside. You can use plastic or wooden boxes to protect plants from the cold. Usually this kind of shelter is enough to keep roses in the Moscow region in cold winters.
Conclusion
In autumn, rose growers in the Moscow region have no less worries. Qualitatively carried out preparation of plants for the winter season is the key to violent flowering in the next vegetative period. There are a lot of things. This is pruning, shelter, and expansion of the rosary. In autumn, young plants are planted in the Moscow region in order to have full-fledged flowering bushes the next year.