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In the middle zone it is quite cold in winter, so it is important to properly prepare roses for winter. 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; their growing season continues.
Caring for roses at the end of summer
Preparation roses towards winter in the middle zone it begins at the end of summer. Nitrogen-containing fertilizers are excluded from feeding; they activate the growth of leaves and shoots. In August, fertilize with potassium and phosphorus, which strengthen the root system and promote 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 watered on the rose bushes.
In September, fertilizing is carried out again. Superphosphate and potassium sulfate, taken 15 g each, are dissolved in a bucket of water. Foliar fertilizing in the form of spraying with a fertilizer solution, the dosage of which is reduced by 3 times, has an effective effect on plants.
With the beginning of autumn in the middle zone, the soil under the rose bush 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 correctly in autumn
Preparing roses for winter in the middle zone includes an important agrotechnical technique - pruning.Pruning not only makes it possible to simplify the covering process, but also stimulates the growth of new shoots with a large number of buds in the coming season. Many shoots will not shade 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. Pruned bushes can withstand the winter cold of the middle zone much more easily.
The pruning shears must be well sharpened and disinfected. The cutting area must be level. Old woody shoots are removed with a hacksaw.
Pruning of roses in the middle zone is carried out in late autumn, at the end of October or beginning of November, shortly before the roses are covered.
First of all, remove dried, broken, disease-affected branches. Then all leaves and buds are removed, after which green shoots that have not ripened and will be the first candidates for frost damage are cut out.
Pay attention to the features of pruning roses:
- Green shoots are cut to the white core;
- The cuts are made at an angle, then water will not stagnate in them;
- The cut passes above 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.
Under no circumstances leave cut parts of plants on the site; spores of fungi and bacteria usually overwinter in them.
There are 3 types of rose pruning:
- Very short, when the entire bush is cut down to the base, leaving 2-3 buds. This type of pruning is suitable for varieties hybrid tea roses and floribunda. Other varieties are also pruned if they are damaged by diseases or insect pests;
- Average pruning most often applied to Old English and hybrid tea roses, the shoots are shortened by half, leaving their length at 30 cm, leaving 4-5 buds. By shortening old shoots, they give the opportunity to develop young and strong;
- Long or light pruning is used for rare varieties of roses; a gentle type of pruning allows flowers to appear earlier, but over time the bushes lose their shape.
U climbing roses carry out sanitary pruning, removing dried, broken and damaged branches, healthy shoots are barely shortened, 2 old shoots are shortened by 5 buds in order to stimulate the growth of shoots from replacement buds.
Correctly carried out pruning rejuvenates the bush, maintains its neat shape and health, and facilitates the work of covering roses.
How to cover roses for the winter in the middle zone
By removing the leaves and buds, the roses will be given a signal to complete the growing season. However, you should not cover the plants right away. All cuts and cuts must be dry. And, if there is a long warm autumn in central Russia, then in shelter roses can fade. To prevent the plants from dying in the shelter, the prepared bushes should be kept for 2-3 weeks at temperatures down to -5°C. Then the plants will completely go into dormant mode and the movement of juices will stop.
In early December, at temperatures down to -7°C, roses begin to cover themselves in the central regions of central Russia. 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 and spruce branches. The branches are bent and fixed with staples, covered with foliage or spruce branches on top. An additional protective measure: arcs are installed over the lying branches and some covering material is pulled.In this way, hybrid tea varieties of roses, floribunda, and climbing roses can be protected 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 of arcs is built over them, over which covering materials are pulled. The soil around the bush is covered with mulch.
There are varieties park roses and hybrids that do not need to organize shelter in central Russia, it is enough for them to mulch the soil around the above-ground part of the shoots.
In the Ural region, winter cold comes 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 tree trunk circle is covered with a layer of mulch up to half a meter.
A shelter is arranged over the bushes. If these are free-standing bushes that have undergone short pruning, then it is convenient to use wooden or plastic boxes for covering, which are covered with plastic film on top, secured with bricks or nailed 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 shoots, but also roots by digging tunnels. It is necessary to lay out rodent repellent preparations (“Rat Death”, creolin, which is soaked in sawdust and placed near the bushes under cover). Using spruce branches to cover roses also repels rodents. There are also traditional methods: pour a layer of ash on the soil or spread cat excrement, then rodents will avoid your plantings.
Another reliable and very effective way to cover rose bushes: a board or plywood hut, which is covered on top with agrofibre or film. 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 out and never damp out.
In the Siberian region, a peculiarity of the climate is that winter cold can come quite late. If roses are covered too early, they may dry out under the cover. You should carefully monitor the weather forecast. As soon as temperatures drop to -7°C, the plants are covered with spruce branches; young specimens can be covered with 5 liter plastic bottles with the bottom cut out and the lids removed.
The Siberian region is characterized by a large abundance of snow, which will reliably cover the plants. The task of gardeners is to preserve the plants before the permanent snow cover falls.
Special mention should be made about shelter of climbing roses in the middle zone. They are not pruned heavily, since the peculiarity of the species is that the buds form on the shoots of the previous year. If a climbing rose is severely pruned, then next year you will be deprived of beautiful flowering. The bush is bent to the soil, laid on spruce branches and covered with it on top. Then they are covered with some material that is securely fixed around the edges. Instead of spruce branches, you can use fallen leaves.
What covering material do flower growers use to cover roses in the middle zone:
- Spunbond good because it allows air, moisture, and light to pass through. Creates the effect of being covered with snow. It protects plants well during the off-season, when constant temperatures have not established. Roses do not freeze, and the soil around the plant does not freeze. The material is strong and 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 so that the plants can breathe. Negative qualities of polyethylene film: does not allow air to pass through, has a limited service life. Positive qualities: economic benefit, ability to retain heat;
- Lutrasil – non-woven material, has different densities; to cover roses, you should use a density of 40-60 g per 1 square meter. m in 2-3 layers. The material allows light, air, and moisture to pass through well. For shelter, when using lutrasil, it is not at all necessary to place arches; if you bend climbing roses to the ground, then you should put boards, spruce branches, and dry leaves under them. Lutrasil is a high-quality material that will last for many years, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective;
- Geotextiles made from synthetic fibers. Very durable, easy to cut with scissors. Lasts a long time, does not rot;
- 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 independent shelter. It will be necessary to construct a protective frame over the plants covered with leaves. Only well-dried leaves from birch, oak, and maple are used for shelter. It will take time to remove the foliage in the spring;
- Conifer branches – spruce branches do not require financial investments, they do an excellent job of protecting 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 A rather expensive method of covering roses, however, it is 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 advantage of burlap is that it allows air to pass through, but the disadvantage is that the material itself can absorb moisture, and then the plants under such cover can dry out.
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
Preparing roses for winter in the middle zone begins in the summer. Plants are fed correctly, deprived of nitrogen fertilizers, and buds are removed. Such actions are aimed at ensuring that the plants enter the final stage of the growing season. Proper pruning, removal of shoots and leaves, complete the growing season, the roses are ready for hibernation. The task of gardeners is to preserve dormant plants, protecting them from frost in the middle zone by organizing shelter, so that next season they can again enjoy the abundant flowering of roses.
