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It is difficult to find a person who would not admire roses, their buds and scents. If previously these plants were grown only in the southern regions of Russia, today these flowers are finding a new place of residence in the Urals, Siberia, and the Moscow region. Climbing roses, capable of climbing along a trellis, have also settled on the plots of residents of the Moscow region.
It is often written on packages that the variety is winter-hardy. Inexperienced gardeners living in the Moscow region fall for it and do not cover their rose bushes for the winter. As a result, the flowers are irretrievably lost. After all, winter frosts and thaws destroy not only the buds, but also the root system. About, how to cover roses for the winter in the Moscow region, we will tell you in the article what covering materials to use.
Why do you need to cover roses?
Modern varieties of roses have virtually no dormant period. Even at the very end of autumn they may have buds, flowers and leafy shoots. In a word, sap flow continues.
What happens to climbing roses when the temperature in the Moscow region and other regions of central Russia drops below 0 degrees:
- The accumulated juice freezes and tears the tissue. Frost breakers, as people say, appear. Instead of liquid, ice forms in these cracks.
- Pathogens penetrate through the damaged epidermis. They will begin to multiply vigorously at the slightest above-zero temperature.
- And the juice, having thawed, will begin to flow out of the trunks of climbing roses. As a result, the plant turns out to be dry in the spring, not only unable to bloom, but even foliage will not appear on it. It's good if the root system moves away. Otherwise you will have to uproot the plant.
Shelter, including in the Moscow region, saves plants from frost and disease. But before you cover your roses for the winter in the Moscow region, you will have to start preparing them.
Preparing for winter
To prevent climbing roses in the Moscow region from dying in winter, they must be specially prepared before sheltering. As a rule, preparation begins in the month of August.
Top dressing
First of all, the plants need to be fed. Fertilizers containing nitrogen are not suitable for feeding climbing roses in the autumn, as they will cause vigorous growth of green mass. It is best to use potassium-phosphorus fertilizers so that the shoots can ripen well before the onset of cold weather.
The fertilizer rates indicated below are diluted in 10 liters of water. This amount is enough for four square meters. For the first autumn feeding, in early August, apply the following to the plants:
- superphosphate - 25 g;
- boric acid - 2.5 g;
- potassium sulfate - 10 g.
The second feeding is carried out in early September with superphosphate (15 g) and potassium sulfate (15 g). They are also diluted in a ten-liter bucket.
Other preparation operations
In August, the soil is loosened, stems and buds are cut off so that the plants have the opportunity to go into a dormant state. Starting from September, climbing roses are practically not watered.
Back in August, climbing roses' leaves and petioles are torn off from below. The fact is that by the end of the season, it is the lower leaves that can be damaged by diseases, and pests overwinter on them. To prevent further spread, the leaves must be torn off. To prevent infection, each wound is treated with potassium permanganate or brilliant green. Sprinkling the damage with wood ash has a good effect.
The next day, you need to cover the roots with dry sand. Up to three buckets are used for one adult plant, and one bucket is enough for a young plant. This hilling protects the root system from freezing. After this, you need to cut off the remaining leaves and carefully remove the lashes from the trellis. All lashes must be treated with iron sulfate, diluted strictly according to the instructions.
Until the thermometer scale drops below +2-+3 degrees, in dry weather they tie the lashes of rose bushes and bend them down. Why is it necessary to work with climbing roses at this temperature? The fact is that when they freeze, their lashes become brittle and cannot be bent without damage.
It is best to work with rose bushes with an assistant. Having bent the bundles of lashes, they need to be pinned so that they do not rise again. Supports similar to the letter M or P are placed under each ligament.
Climbing roses will remain in this position until the first frost. A more substantial shelter is installed in the Moscow region at a temperature of -4.-5 degrees.
How to cover roses in the Moscow region
Many gardeners, especially beginners, are concerned not only with how to cover rose bushes in the Moscow region for the winter, but also with what material. The best shelter, of course, is snow.But unfortunately, snow does not fall by magic. In the Moscow region or in other areas of central Russia, it can fall at lower temperatures. Therefore, you need to think about how to save roses from frost.
Experienced gardeners advise using any available materials. Many people cover rose bushes in the Moscow region for the winter:
- dry leaves;
- spruce branches;
- burlap and rags;
- old blankets and jackets;
- boards, slate and plywood.
Today you can buy special covering materials that allow you to maintain the temperature; condensation that is harmful to roses does not form on them, even during winter thaws:
- lutrasil;
- spunbond;
- geotextiles.
The choice of material will depend on the condition of the climbing roses on the site, the variety and age of the plants. Hardy, winter-hardy roses winter well in the Moscow region under foliage or spruce branches. As for young plants, without shelter they cannot overwinter without damage.
Available materials or various types of films for covering roses in the Moscow region are usually stretched over the frame. It can be made of wood or metal. The plastic option should be immediately discarded, since this material crumbles in the cold.
The covering material should be dense, approximately 200 g/m². For reliability, it is laid on a frame in several layers. If you decide to use plastic film to cover climbing roses in the Moscow region, then leave vents on the sides. Otherwise, during thaws, plants may begin to rot.
As for spunbond, lutrasil and geotextile, this material, after covering the bushes, is tightly fixed around the entire perimeter, no holes are needed. Frost should not penetrate under these covering materials.
You can cover roses for the winter in the Moscow region not only horizontally, but also vertically, if you use modern materials. Like this.
If the plants grew on an arch, then you can cover them together in this way, as in the photo.
How to cover roses correctly
After hilling and preparatory work, they begin to cover the roses in the Moscow region. Since in many regions plants can be damaged by mice, the ground is treated with special substances or sprinkled with mothballs. By the way, treatment with iron sulfate also helps save climbing roses from rodents.
Frame shelter
Spruce branches or fallen leaves are placed under the lashes. These materials are breathable, roses will not suffocate from lack of oxygen. It is not advisable to cover the bushes with sawdust, straw or hay, as they absorb water and lead to condensation.
Spruce branches or leaves are also placed on top of the tied pink lashes. To prevent precipitation, arches or wooden shields in the form of a gable roof are installed above the roses. To secure the shelter, stakes are used.
Covered on top of a wooden frame or arch covering material. At the beginning of autumn it is not closed at the ends. Complete cover on all sides is carried out when the average daily temperature is below -5 degrees.
So, you can cover roses planted on the same line.If the plants are scattered throughout the garden, then the work will increase significantly, since covering each rose will take more time.
Shelter without frame
Many gardeners in the Moscow region shelter of roses carried out in a frameless manner. This method takes less time. The plants are laid out with foliage or spruce branches, and covered with film or roofing felt on top. Experienced gardeners do not advise residents of the Moscow region to snatch climbing roses in this way, because the plants mostly rot away.
Covering a climbing rose, gardener's advice:
Conclusion
Covering roses for the winter is an important agricultural technique, especially in the Moscow region and other regions of Russia, where the thermometer drops several tens of degrees below zero. Without your attention and help, plants simply cannot survive.
There is no need to regret the time spent covering rose bushes. Roses will thank you in the spring, delighting you with lush greenery and buds of fragrant flowers.
