PREPARING ROSES FOR OLD MAN WINTER

By: Ted W. Mills, ARS Consulting Rosarian and Judge

Bears do not have a monopoly on requiring sleep through the cold months of winter. Just as these furry creatures need to rest for the coming of spring, so must our beloved rose bushes seek relief from a season of vigorous growing activity. Of course, our bushes can't climb into the nearest cave where the wiles of winter are non-existent. We, as faithful rosarians, must provide the protection that assures their long winter nap will be comfortable.

Winter protection differs according to the geographical location of the garden. Bushes in the far north require heavy protection, while plants in the south require a lesser degree of insulation. The wise rosarian will apply only that amount of protection that suits his respective location.

Let's take a look at a simple procedure that will suffice in the mildly cold areas of the south. But remember, extremely cold areas of the north require added insulation such as styrofoam boxes or rose cones, filled with shredded leaves, pine straw, or various other protective materials. Irrespective of which method is used, there are certain preliminary steps to winterizing that need to be accomplished.

* First and foremost, don't be too hasty in installing winter protection. Allow the plants to harden off before any protection is utilized. Watch the thermometer and wait until at least two periods of freezing weather is experienced. This usually occurs around the first of the year or sometimes later in the Tennessee valley area.

* Second, remove any diseased or insect-damaged leaves or canes from the bushes. Discard from the rose beds all contaminated debris that may harbor disease spores. This is a must in order to prevent trouble when spring arrives.

* Thirdly, prune to chest high all tall canes that could possibly waft in the wind and scar one another. Such abrasions invite disease. Then too, the rocking motion caused by the wind will sometimes loosen the plant's root system and create unwanted problems.

* Fourthly, once the plant has reached dormancy, the leaves have exhausted their useful function of manufacturing food for the plant. Therefore, remove all leaves that have not fallen and cleanse the beds of debris. Prune away twiggy growth that is obviously of no future use to the plant. This will help to limit the amount of pruning when spring arrives.

* Next, once the bush is free of leaves and twiggy growth, liberally apply a good dormant spray such as liquid lime sulfur to guard against diseases. This can be combined with Volk oil in order to ward off insect invasion during the winter sleep. Apply a heavy soaking of the soil area around the base of the bush to help prevent over-wintering of disease spores. Applying the above mentioned spray before applying winter protection enables the rosarian to protect the bud union as well as the remainder of the plant.

* And now to the actual insulating of the plant. Of course there are several ways to install protection. But in the Tennessee area, only a moderate amount of protection is required. The simpler method proves better and is more readily utilized by the rosarian. Since the bud union is the plant's anatomy that we most need to protect, major effort is applied in this area. By using a 12-inch high mound of clean, pliable topsoil (not from the rose bed) or ground pine bark piled around the base of the bush, the rosarian has gone a long way toward adequate protection for this area. To ensure that rain will not erode the mound, a thick blanket of pine needles needs to be applied, too. This will allow the plant to receive oxygen during the winter period and thwart suffocation of the root system. Although the plant is sleeping, it still needs oxygen to survive.

* Finally, the coming of balmy weather in early spring often prompts the rosarian to mistakenly remove the winter protection too soon. Extreme care should be taken in this matter. There are many times that following a warm day the winter winds kick up and the rosarian finds himself or herself scurrying to re-install the protection that was taken off too early. Sometimes severe damage is the result of impatience. Be entirely sure that all danger of frost and freeze is gone before removing winter protection. If major pruning time arrives, it is certainly possible to perform this task without removing the protective mound of soil. One note of caution, remove the winter protection with much care since basal breaks just may be present under the protective mound.

** A word of important advice is offered to all rosarians. In our area most have grown accustomed to piles of fresh hardwood mulch being offered by garden centers in bulk form. In the opinion of some rose growers, including the author, this commodity should not be used for winter protection of rose bushes. There have been instances where rose bush canes have suffered extensive damage by its use. Certain fungus causing substances contained therein are not conducive to healthy rose cane growth and can produce unwanted disease to the plants, particularly if the mulch is not thoroughly aged.

*** In closing, we return to the bears. Their long, restful sleep enables them to perform their responsibilities once spring arrives. Rose bushes are no different. These too, having worked vigorously for us during the growing season, need a rest since much activity awaits them just ahead. Let's see that they rest comfortably during the winter months. Then we, as rosarians, can brag about their performance when blooming time arrives.

REMINDER: Even though your roses have been put to sleep for their winter's nap, be sure to keep them amply watered if nature fails to provide.