Need help getting rose plants ready for winter
I have three rose bushes well they are more plants then bushes. I live in Southern Ontario Canada and soon I should think about getting the rose plants ready for winter. We get lots of snow and cold weather. I planted the roses in June and have never looked after roses before. I am not very educated on gardening. If I could keep them safe during the winter I would love to because they have produced many a beautiful roses this summer. Any advice on how to get them ready for winter?
Thanks!
Some people go to great lengths to protect their roses from winter cold and some don't do anything! In both cases I have seen them live and die....
What I do (which has worked so far!):
Water the snot out of the rose after it starts freezing at night.
Wait til a killing frost, then remove any foliage that might still be left on the plant and under it. DON'T PRUNE THOUGH! Just remove the few leaves that haven't blown off/away yet.
When the ground is froze solid, cover the plant with mulch/evergreen boughs/compost/leaves/hay - whatever you have! Just make sure it is covered well, especially around the root. Cover the mound with burlap or mesh so that the covering doesn't blow away during the winter.
When spring comes and the ground starts softening, uncover the plant and remove the mound.
Works for me! But again, I've seen some people just leave the roses out to fend for themselves and they made it through the winter just as well. Maybe try reading up on it online? Ehow and other advice columns might have some tricks for you and your Hardyness Zone.
FYI I'm Wisconsin Zone 5
Most of the shadows of this life are caused by our standing in our own sunshine.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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