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The
Master Gardener Articles
How Do
I Go About Winterizing My Roses?
Winterizing roses is an important practice to ensure their survival and vigorous
growth year after year. Hybrid teas, grandifloras, floribundas, and climbers
should be protected after a killing frost but before the soil freezes. In
Ohio in most seasons, this is usually late November or early December.
There are several methods gardeners can use, so select the one that works
best for you. For minimum winter protection, tie canes of bush roses together,
then mound soil 8-10 inches high around the base of the canes. To provide
more protection, cut long canes back to 30-36 inches and tie the tips together
to reduce breakage from winter wind whipping. Mound soil over the base of
the canes in broad, rounded mounds at least 12 inches high and 12 inches
wide; then cover the soil mounds with a mulch of leaves, straw, or evergreen
boughs.
Another method uses mulch instead of soil, such as wood chips, sawdust, shredded
hardwood, or pine bark, mounded to 15-18 inches around the plant's base.
Some gardeners prefer to construct wire mesh cylinders to surround each plant,
then fill this with mulch. Still others use rose cones, baskets with bottoms
cut out, or burlap to wrap the plants.
For maximum winter protection, cover the rose bush with a protective cone.
Use straw or leaves to insulate the bush inside the cone. Puncture several
one inch diameter holes around the top of the cone for ventilation.
To winterize climbers, remove them from their support. Lay them on the ground
and cover with 3-4 inches of soil. If this cannot be done, gather and tie
the tips of the stems together, and wrap in straw with a burlap cover wrapped
over that. Mound the base of the climber with 10 inches of soil.
The Master Gardener
Offers horticulture advice and tips, focusing on current issues by volunteers
who are with The Ohio State University Extension, Union County Master Gardener
Program. For answers to gardening questions, call 937.644.8117 or e-mail
gmcvey@ag.osu.edu. Hourse are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday
OSU Extension embraces human
diversity and is committed to ensuring that all educational programs conducted
by Ohio State University Extension are available to clientele on a nondiscriminatory
basis without regard to race, color, age, gender identity or expression,
disability, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, or veteran status.
Keith L. Smith, Associate Vice
President for Agricultural Administration and Director, OSU Extension TDD
No. 800-589-8292 ( Ohio only) or 614-292-1868
If you have trouble accessing this page and need to request an alternate
format, contact Drudy Yoakam at yoakam.1@osu.edu.
Revised October, 2006
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