Extension Communications
3614 Administrative Services Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3614
(515) 294-9915
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Extension Communications |
11/6/03
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Linda Naeve, Reiman Gardens, (515) 294-8946, lnaeve@iastate.edu
Jean McGuire, Continuing Education and Communication Services, (515) 294-7033,
jmcguire@iastate.edu
No Fail Winter Rose Protection
Linda Naeve
Extension Coordinator
Reiman Gardens
"Nothing is as certain as death and taxes." This adage has been around for years and few of us challenge it. However, Reiman's Pick for this week describes a method of winter rose protection that comes very close to being a "certainty."
Although roses are a garden favorite, most types require special protection for winter. With the exception of shrub roses and hardy Buck varieties, roses are not reliably hardy in the Midwest. Most of the popular roses we grow, such as hybrid tea roses, are actually two plants grafted together. Because of this graft, you need to protect the union between the scion, the top of the plant, and the rootstock from severe cold temperatures. Although the graft union is planted a few inches below the soil surface, it is still vulnerable to winter injury. If the plant is killed at this union, the top, or desirable variety, is lost.
Gardeners need to winterize roses when they become dormant in the fall. They are usually dormant by late October to early November in northern Iowa and mid-November in central and southern areas of the state.
Many gardeners use plastic foam rose cones to protect roses. Unfortunately, they are often improperly used and do not provide adequate protection for the plants. They require more effort to install than simply setting them over the plant and putting a weight on top to secure them in place.
Roses covered by cones need to be pruned back to fit under the cone. To further insulate the plant and protect the graft, mound one foot of soil over the base of the plant. Puncture the top of the plastic foam cone with holes for ventilation. It is necessary to check the plants under the cones in early spring because warm spring days will stimulate early growth on the plants. New growth produced under the cones is weak and vulnerable to damage by cold spring weather.
No matter how severe the winter weather, this alternative method nearly guarantees rose survival and does not involve pruning the plants in the fall. Simply tie the rose canes together with twine to prevent strong winds from whipping and possibly damaging the canes. With the thorny canes out of harms way, rake aside existing mulch and mound approximately one foot of soil around the base of each plant.
Install a two-foot high chicken wire fence around the rose plants. If roses are grouped together in a bed, install the fence around the entire bed. Fill the caged area with a two-foot layer of clean, weed-free straw or dried leaves. Most tree leaves provide a good insulation layer, however, avoid oak leaves, which tend to pack down and reduce air movement. The fence not only holds the mulch in place, it also prevents rodents from making a new home in the mulch.
In early April, remove the mulch and fence. Carefully remove the extra soil around the plants or work it into low areas in the garden. Do not simply spread it around the plants because it may bury them too deep.
Untie the canes and prune out dead wood. Cut your hybrid tea roses back to about one foot in height. Make the pruning cuts about a quarter of an inch above healthy, outward facing buds.
Nick Howell, garden superintendent at Reiman Gardens, has used this method for several years for the Gardens' roses. Howell maintains nearly 2,000 roses in the award-winning rose garden and hasn't lost a single rose plant to winter injury. Howell says it is a no-fail "certainty" for rose care and roses that survive the winter in a healthy condition grow more vigorously and bloom earlier.
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Editors: A color photo, suitable for publication, is available at right. Click on the thumbnail photo to go to the fullsized photo. The picture's fullsize photo is 344K. Caption: Rose bush prepared for winter at Reiman Gardens |
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