When preparing roses for the winter, it is important to take care of their protection properly so that these wonderful plants will successfully overwinter and delight with their flowers again in the spring. Roses, like many other plants, require special attention before the onset of frost, but proper pruning and fertilization are especially important. These care measures not only help to strengthen the plant, but also ensure that it survives the winter and continues to grow healthily. In this article, we will discuss how to properly prune roses and what fertilizers are needed to make them resistant to the upcoming conditions.
My friend, who lives in her own house, likes to plant new varieties of flowers in her flower garden. However, despite the variety, most of the space in the flower garden is occupied by rose bushes. Roses of various colors become a real blooming garden during the season. Before winter, she always prepares flowers for frost. It was from her that I learned what rules must be followed. I want to share this information with you.
How to prepare roses for winter: tips from experienced gardeners
The main reason why roses need to be covered before winter is their low frost resistance. Roses may not tolerate periods of low temperatures. In addition, these plants are afraid of strong wind and snow. Proper preparation of roses for the winter will help retain moisture and nutrients in the soil. It is important to take care of proper pruning and fertilization of roses, as this will ensure normal growth and flowering of the rose.
How to properly cover rose bushes?
In order to properly cover rose bushes, you should know a few rules.
1. Roses should be covered from late October to mid-November. It is best to do this when the roses stop blooming and drop their leaves. You should not be afraid of the first frosts, because they harden the rose. If sub-zero temperatures prevail for some time, it is necessary to cover the rose bushes.
2. Before covering the roses, you must cut off all diseased or damaged shoots. The cut parts should be collected and thrown away or burned to prevent the disease from spreading to healthy plants.
3. Shoots up to 40 cm long should be left on the bush. Be sure to cut the young shoots. If you do not do this, the rose may rot during the winter.
4. Before covering the roses for the winter, treat them with a fungicide. This will help protect the plants from fungus.
5. Choose a warm and light material that will allow the roses to breathe. It is not recommended to use film because it creates a greenhouse effect. Kraft paper that is not hermetically coated with polyethylene, agrofiber and other similar materials is suitable.
6. Before covering the rose, raise the soil around the bush by 15 cm to form a hill. On top, you can sprinkle the soil with peat, sawdust or chips.
7. Form a frame around the bush from wooden or metal strips, on which you can put a cover. Cover the bush and secure the cover with stones to prevent it from being blown away by strong winds.
Potassium permanganate fertilizer for roses
It is recommended to fertilize the roses before covering them. Experienced gardeners recommend using potassium permanganate. This helps roses to endure cold weather more easily, because potassium permanganate causes the plant to accumulate special substances that improve frost resistance. It is important to remember that such fertilization is carried out 14 days before covering the roses.
- It is very important to properly prepare the mixture: mix 10 g of potassium permanganate with 1.5 liters of water. Add 500 ml of vinegar to the solution.
- Add 200 ml of hydrogen peroxide to the solution. It should be poured in portions of approximately 50 ml. You will notice that the liquid gradually becomes clear.
- Dilute this concentrate with water in such an amount that the total volume is 10 liters. Mix everything well and water the rose bush. On average, one small plant needs 0.5 liters of fertilizer. If the rose is large, use up to 1 liter of this liquid.
- The main condition is that after fertilizing, the bush must be abundantly watered with clean water, because then potassium permanganate will not accumulate in the upper layers of the soil. If this is not done, the fertilizer can harm the plant.
We hope that our tips were useful to you. Prepare roses for winter, and next year you can enjoy their beautiful flowers again.
