Most perennial decorative plants, like roses in the Moscow region, require special care and annual winter protection due to the unpredictable Russian winters in the middle belt.
Each plant has a seasonal life cycle. They sleep, awaken, grow actively, bloom, bear fruit, and then enter dormancy (vegetative period).
Winterizing Roses in Cold Regions: A Comprehensive Guide
Covering roses for winter is not as simple as just throwing a cover over them at summer’s end. The bushes need to be prepared for the vegetative period.
First, dry out the soil to prevent rot and freezing during sudden frosts.
Stop watering the bushes as the weather cools and limit natural irrigation. It’s best to stretch greenhouse film over the bushes.
Timely pruning of roses is essential. Do it when the air temperature is around 5-7ºC. Also, ensure the rose bush is ready for winter – new shoots stop growing, and old ones become more woody. Not all rose varieties need pruning.
For example, small-flowered varieties only need their tips pinched. Climbing and shrub varieties are pruned by a third, and all others by half. Experienced gardeners recommend following the lunar calendar and pruning during the waning moon.
Apply autumn fertilizer before winter. The best time is September. Roses need potassium and phosphorus to survive winter. Special rose fertilizers can be used, but some gardeners use banana peels, which are high in potassium. Do not fertilize with organic compounds, including manure, as they stimulate growth when the plant needs rest. Incorrect fertilization can cause new shoots to die, risking the entire bush.
After fertilizing, clean the area around the bushes and spray for pests. Remove leaves, grass, and annual plants planted that year. These precautions help avoid pest problems. Spray the bushes with a 1% Bordeaux mixture.
Professional gardeners recommend painting the lower third of rose bush stems with garden tree and shrub paint, available at garden stores.
Now, as you approach the final stage of winterizing roses in the Moscow region, dig around and hill the bushes. Do this carefully with a fork, avoiding damage to the root system. Afterward, hill the roses with dry soil, peat, or sand, forming mounds 25-30 cm high around each bush.
Covering Roses for Winter
First, determine the timing of the cover. The farther north, the earlier the bad weather and vegetative period for roses. Usually, they are covered when frosts start and daytime temperatures stabilize at 5-7º above zero.
In the middle belt, including the Moscow region, this usually occurs in October, sometimes November. Covering roses too early can cause condensation on warm days, harming them. Covering too late risks freezing the plant.
Covering techniques vary only in the material used. It can be spruce branches, sawdust, dry leaves, wooden or greenhouse frames with stretched material, and moisture-protective film.
Special materials like vapor barrier membranes and spunbond are also used. They absorb moisture well and keep warmth for the bushes. These materials are available in hardware stores.
If possible, make a ventilated cover for roses, like greenhouse frames with a door. This allows airing the bushes during warm, dry weather.
Monitor roses during the vegetative period for condensation, sores, rot, mold, pests, and cover integrity. Snow or rain should not penetrate inside.
Rodents can be a problem. They often come to feast on tasty branches and shoots. Surround roses with spruce branches or use naphthalene, scattering it around the bushes.
Videos: Covering Roses for Winter
Caring for roses is a complex procedure. They require special conditions, fertilization, care, and winter protection, like in the Moscow region. But with proper care and attention, roses will reward you with a lush bloom in the summer.
