The vegetative season of many plants is coming to an end. For gardeners, the issue of preparing and protecting flowering perennials from winter cold becomes relevant, especially rose bushes that bloom profusely in summer, but do not tolerate winter well. It is important how the shelter is organized, since it depends on whether the plant will endure the coming winter, and how abundant the roses will bloom.
Preparing spray roses for winter
The task of flower growers is not only to make a shelter for roses, but also to prepare the plants for the coming winter. It is required to create such conditions so that spray roses smoothly complete the vegetative period and prepare for the hibernation period.
First of all, they change the composition of dressings for roses: exclude nitrogen, focus on phosphorus and potassium. If you leave the summer composition of fertilizers to roses, where nitrogen is in the first place, then the plants will continue to bloom and grow shoots, that is, they will continue the growing season. In autumn, this is no longer required, so the young shoots of roses only consume the strength of the plant, they do not have time to ripen and, most likely, will be destroyed by frost. Moreover, the affected shoots become a potential threat to the entire rose bush.
All summer, spray roses bloomed luxuriantly and actively consumed minerals. Feeding plants in the fall is a must. It is important to replenish the balance of minerals in roses. Potassium is especially important, which strengthens plant cell tissues and improves immunity. Thereby reducing the susceptibility of spray roses to disease and climate change. Plants more easily tolerate not only winter colds, but also thaws in the middle of winter and spring return frosts.
You can make up for the lack of potassium by adding potassium sulfate, potassium magnesia, potassium nitrate, kalimag.
Another equally important element in the nutrition of roses is phosphorus. It participates in all metabolic processes of plants, contributes to the growth of the root system, so that they absorb more microelements. The ripening of shoots is accelerated, lignified they will not be damaged by frost. Phosphorus is found in fertilizers such as superphosphate and double superphosphate, ammophoska.
Without fail, in the autumn period, 2 feeding of roses is carried out before shelter: in late August – early September and late September – early November. Feed options:
- Superphosphate and potassium monophosphate, 15 g each, are dissolved in a 10-liter bucket of water;
- Potassium sulphate (10 g), superphosphate (25 g), boric acid (2,5 g) are dissolved in 10 liters of water.
Gardeners also use ready-made complex fertilizers “Autumn”, “Autumn” according to the instructions. You can feed spray roses with wood ash, 1 tbsp. they bring it under a bush and water it with water, or prepare an ash solution and water the plants with it.
And one more example of useful fertilizers for roses from folk recipes: the use of banana skins. They are actually rich in phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium, they are in no way inferior to purchased mineral fertilizers. Before use, bananas should be washed to remove the wax that the fruit is treated with for better storage. The easiest way is to grind the banana skin and bury it near the bushes, without deepening it too much.
Another way: grind the skin with a blender, pour the mass with water and water the spray roses. Banana skins can be prepared in advance by freezing or drying. Dried skins are brewed with boiling water, infused and watered.
The next thing to do in autumn care for spray roses, as opposed to summer care, is to reduce watering of plants, and then completely stop it, depending on weather conditions in mid-September. If the autumn is very dry, then the plants are watered once a week, using 1 times less water. This action also leads to the completion of the growing season of roses. Young shoots and superficial roots of the plant will not develop.
Stop cutting flowers with long stems. Rose shoots are best pinched at the point of growth. Shortly before sheltering the bush, sanitary pruning of roses is carried out, removing all leaves, buds, fruits, flowers, weak and unripe shoots of the plant.
Next, autumn pruning of plants is carried out. Choose the strongest shoots from 3 to 5 pieces, the rest are completely cut out. The rest are cut in half. Usually, for spray roses, medium pruning is carried out when 7 buds remain on the shoot. Secrets of the correct pruning of roses:
- Pruning of bushes is done in dry, clear weather;
- To remove thick stems, plants use a garden saw, for thin stems, a pruner;
- The cut is made at an angle so that moisture does not stagnate;
- A healthy rose shoot that can endure winter has a light core on the cut;
- The cut is made above the outer bud at a height of 5 mm so that the future shoot does not grow inside the rose bush.
All plant debris left after pruning roses is collected and disposed of.
After pruning, the plants are treated before shelter for preventive purposes against diseases and rot with copper sulphate, Bordeaux mixture, iron sulphate.
After such treatment, the root zone of plants is covered with a high layer of mulch of 30-40 cm from peat, soil. Such hilling is the simplest way to shelter spray roses.
Watch a video on how to cover spray roses:
How to cover spray roses for the winter
However, simple hilling is not enough to keep spray roses intact. Especially in the middle lane, where frosts are quite strong, although thaws are not excluded. The purpose of the shelter is to protect the flowers not only from sub-zero temperatures, but also, to a much greater extent, from the ingress of moisture, in the presence of which diseases develop.
The most commonly used air-dry method of sheltering plants. The covering material does not allow moisture to penetrate, and due to the presence of an air gap in the shelter, a comfortable microclimate for roses is maintained.
For spray roses that grow several in a row, it is more convenient to organize a shelter using arcs. Arcs can be used the same arcs as when organizing a greenhouse. To stiffen the structure, the upper part is reinforced with a narrow board or slats. The measure is needed so that the arcs in the shelter do not sag under the weight of snow. Many gardeners also strengthen the arcs on the sides. Before sticking the arcs, the plants are spudded and additionally covered with spruce branches.
Covering material is pulled over the installed arcs. It is best to use geotextiles, spunbond, lutrasil in 2-3 layers. The covering material is fastened with paper clips, clothespins or special plastic clips. Bricks or any improvised heavy materials and objects (pieces of slate, trimmings of boards, pipes, stones) are placed on the sides of the shelter.
Another option for shelter is using planks or plywood nailed together like a shield. They are covered with covering material in several layers, set at an angle to each other, getting shelter – a hut. At positive temperatures at the end of autumn, the ends of the shelter are left open, but as soon as a stable sub-zero temperature is established, the ends are securely covered.
The higher and longer the shelter, the greater the volume of air will act as an air gap. In large shelters, a temperature that is comfortable for plants is maintained longer; they will not be threatened by either thaws or severe frosts.
For free-standing rose bushes, you can make shelters from improvised materials. If the bush is small, then you can cover it with a plastic or wooden box from above, having previously spudded the plant and covered it with spruce branches or dry fallen leaves.
Another way to hide: slats or metal pins are stuck around the roses around the circumference, which will hold the base: cardboard, mesh – chain-link or mesh for reinforcement. Thus, a protective shelter is obtained around the spray rose. Insulation is placed inside. They can be branches of coniferous trees, foliage, straw. From above, the shelter is tightened with covering material.
The question of when to cover spray roses is quite relevant for gardeners. Weather conditions in different regions are different, sometimes nature presents unexpected climatic surprises. Therefore, it is impossible to name the exact calendar dates. The best time to shelter spray roses is when the temperature is -3°C-7°C. Nighttime temperatures can be as low as -7°C-10°C.
The main thing is that daytime temperatures are constant and do not rise above -3 ° C. In central Our Country, when such weather sets in, approximately the end of October – the beginning of November. But here, too, the usual course of things can be disrupted, and the timing of the shelter of roses is shifted in one direction or another. Gardeners need to be careful and watch the thermometer readings.
Conclusion
To save spray roses in the winter, you should make a lot of effort. It is necessary to prepare the plants by properly fertilizing them, reducing watering, pruning. Which will bring flowers to the end of the growing season. Another important stage is the organization of shelter and compliance with temperature terms. Following the recommendations and agricultural practices will allow you to save wonderful plants without loss in any winter cold.