A climbing rose is a bright decoration for any garden. So that she continues to please you and next season, it is very important to properly prepare it for the winter.
How to prepare climbing roses for winter?
As a result of selection, the climbing roses can not enter the state of organic rest in winter. When there are constant frosts, the roses have a forced suspension of vegetation. But if the temperature rises to at least + 3 ° C, the vegetation is renewed, and sap movements occur in the stems. When the temperature again drops below -3 ° C, the juice in the stems freezes, the tissues break, and long cracks appear on the shoots - frosts. On young shoots they are especially deep, on older shoots they are less pronounced. But even small cracks are a danger, since they contribute to the appearance of pathogenic and putrefactive organisms with an increase in air temperature. This can lead to the death of plants.
That is why it is necessary to conduct a number of activities that will prepare the climbing roses for the winter.
Feeding of climbing roses
Starting in August, roses are stopped fertilizing with nitrogen. This is necessary to stop the growth of new shoots, which will be unprepared for the winter. At the first frosts for them there is a threat of freezing, they will begin to rot, and as a result, a whole bush may die.
In August, roses are fed with potassium and phosphorus fertilizers, which help strengthen the root system and shoots of plants. The last top dressing is carried out in the middle of September.
Trimming a climbing rose for the winter
Many beginner gardeners are interested in the question: do claws cut off for winter? Pruning plants is necessary in order to provide them with shelter for the winter. Due to the fact that roses grow large, it becomes difficult to cover them. But you do not need to cut the flowers under the root, because next year instead of flowering they will again increase shoots. This can weaken the flowers and even lead to their death.
It is best to cut roses by one-third. In addition, remove the broken and old shoots, as well as young, who did not have time to ripen to winter.
How to lay a stumpy rose for the winter?
Before the onset of frost, the plant must be laid. Shoots are released from the leaves and bent to the ground in such a way that they do not touch the ground, and fix with iron hooks. If you have to deal with very thick shoots, they are bent down into several tricks.
On the overgrown bushes, shoots can be pulled together by a tourniquet, but so that the thorns do not scratch the trunks.
Do I need to cover a wicker rose for the winter?
Plants need to be sheltered for the winter to protect them from sudden temperature changes. The easiest way to shelter is to lay the roses on the layer of bark, fix them, and cover them with a trowel from above. Thus, they are sheltered from two sides.
Also common is the air-dry method of shelter, which is used when roses grow in rows. To do this, above the flowers, a hut made of wooden shields about 80 cm high, which is covered with a polyethylene film, is built.
If roses grow in separate bushes, they can be sheltered in the form of a rectangular frame. Inside, enough space should remain for the flowers, which is necessary for air circulation. Above, the frame is covered with roofing material, lutrasil or other protective material .
Observance of these rules when preparing climbing roses for the winter will help them to wait for the winter and to please their owners in the next season.