What's the best way to cover roses in the garden for the winter?

The rose is a capricious plant and requires careful care and attention. The birthplace of this delightful flower is considered to be Ancient Rome, where winters were mild and warm, and the air temperature never dropped below 3 degrees Celsius. Therefore, in the Russian climate, it is important cover roses for the winterto prevent frost damage. Some varieties are more resilient and can survive the winter without additional protection, while others require insulation.

Varieties in need of protection

To know exactly how and when to insulate roses for the winter, it's important to consider the variety, its winter hardiness, and the climate in the region where it's grown. The plant's age and overall condition are also important.

Park roses rarely require additional winter protection due to their high frost resistance. Species roses, such as Glauca, Nitida, and Rugosa, are no less winter-hardy. Scabrosa, Jens Munk, John Davis, and Hansa roses, as well as some hybrids, require no protection at all.

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Bush roses, groundcover roses, hybrid tea roses, and climbing and standard varieties require winter protection. Hybrid tea roses often freeze out by spring. However, if the bush has been well earthed up, a sufficient number of living shoots will remain.

Optimal timing

The optimal time to cover rose bushes is late October. If done earlier, excessively high temperatures can cause young shoots to grow into the winter, which is highly undesirable. Furthermore, the soil tends to be wetter in autumn, which can lead to root rot. The generally accepted recommendation for covering rose bushes is to do so when the temperature drops to -5°C (23°F) and remains there for a week.

The first frosts not only don't harm flowers, but actually bring some benefit. This allows plants to properly enter winter dormancy, and the shoots and roots undergo additional hardening.

Before close roses for the winter, it's necessary to carry out preliminary preparation. Over the summer, a flowering plant significantly depletes the soil's nutrients. Therefore, it should be fertilized before the onset of cold weather. If you use "summer" fertilizers, the bush will build up foliage and won't be able to properly prepare for winter. For autumn feeding, special compositions are used:

1. Mineral fertilizers—calcium, potassium, phosphorus. To prepare, take a bucket of water and add 16 g of potassium monophosphate and 15 g of superphosphate.
2. You can mix 10 g of potassium sulfate, 2.5 g of boric acid and 25 g of superphosphate.
3. Home remedies for feeding include wood ash or banana peel.
4. Complex fertilizer "Autumn".

Necessary materials

Rose bushes can be covered for the winter using artificial or natural materials. Regardless of the type of insulation, it must be dry. Covering the shoots with damp soil or leaves will lead to rot, mold, or pest infestation.

Any covering material for roses for the winter must meet the following requirements:

• permeability to steam - the plant should not rot under the protective layer;
• resistance to any weather conditions;
• mechanical strength and durability;
• ease of use;
• economic accessibility.

Synthetic films and bottles

These covering materials are the most popular among gardeners and are most often used in garden plots. The most affordable type is transparent polyethylene film. It can be purchased at hardware stores. Key benefits:

• ability to transmit light;
• protection from moisture and precipitation;
• durability.

One disadvantage is that moisture accumulates under the film, causing the plant to rot. To prevent this, you can make small holes in the protective covering or remove it when the weather warms up.

Non-woven options are becoming increasingly popular. These include agrospan, spunbond, and lutrasil. They are highly breathable, provide reliable insulation from the cold, and are highly durable. Rose bushes are often covered with several layers of this insulation. White is the ideal color, as black non-woven materials quickly heat up during thaws and begin to retain moisture.

You can cover the bush with polycarbonate until frost sets in. However, if the temperature drops to 0 degrees Celsius, you should cover it with agrofibre, creating a shelter-like structure.

Cardboard can be used as a shelter frame. It's breathable and provides protection from the wind. A layer of spunbond or polyethylene is placed on top of the cardboard. However, such a structure quickly becomes damp when the snow melts.

Woven burlap

Burlap is a rare material these days. Along with natural fabrics, polyethylene-lined options are used. The downside of this combination is poor breathability. Traditional burlap is also not an ideal solution, as it quickly absorbs water and can freeze.

Spruce branches and straw

A popular way to protect plants from frost is using spruce branches. They create an air gap and protect roses from bright sunlight and rodents. Only use branches from healthy trees for covering. If there are yellowed needles or diseased growths, it's best to discard them. This type of covering material will reliably insulate rose bushes without the risk of damping off. You can also use spruce branches to complement a structure made of film or non-woven material.

Straw has a good thermal insulating effect. However, this material There are many disadvantages:

1. When the temperature rises, the material becomes wet, begins to cake, rot and become moldy.
2. Straw doesn't let any light through. A lack of sunlight leads to slow soil warming and delayed vegetation.
3. In cold weather, rodents begin to settle in the broken branches, damaging the root system of roses.

Rules for covering different varieties

For standard rose varieties, winter protection is absolutely essential. They require almost no pruning, just remove dead shoots and leavesYoung bushes are bent toward the ground and secured with pins or metal staples. Sand, dry leaves, or pine needles are sprinkled at the base of the shoots. The crown is lined with spruce branches, and the entire plant is covered with plastic wrap or another waterproof material.

Mature plants can break, so they should not be bent. A teepee-like frame is built around these specimens or they are wrapped in roofing felt (air-dry seal). The resulting structure should be filled with sawdust, spruce needles, or dry leaves. The top is then covered with plastic wrap and secured with twine.

Bush varieties

Before covering a bush rose for the winter, remove all green shoots and leaves. Bushes are cut back to a height of 40 cm and treated with antifungal agents. Next, cover it in one of three ways:

1. They build a special hut from two boards knocked together and cover them with film.
2. In a warm winter, you can cover the base of the bush with mulch or soil, and place spruce branches or dried leaves on top.
3. The dry method of covering roses is used for the most expensive varieties. The rose is cut to the base or laid on the ground and secured with staples. Spruce branches are laid on top, and then leaves or sawdust are sprinkled on top. Pegs are driven in around the bush, and the plastic film is stretched over them. The edges are secured with heavy objects. An opening is left on one side for ventilation.

Climbing roses

This rose variety requires special care when preparing for winter. The long stems are very easily damaged. Before winterizing, pinch the shoots, remove leaves and petioles, and carefully remove the stems from their supports. If there are wounds or damage on the stems, sprinkle them with crushed charcoal. There are two ways to cover a climbing rose for winter.

During the first approach, the base of the bush is covered with soil, pine needles are sprinkled on top, then sand and spruce branches. The rose vines are carefully removed from supports and laid on spruce branches. They are also covered with branches from above and wrapped in plastic film.

The second method is more complex. All the shoots are twisted into a thick bundle and placed on a wire frame so that the rose doesn't touch the soil. A canopy of wooden planks is constructed over the shoots, and then the whole thing is covered with plastic film.

Park views

Winter protection is not necessary for park roses, as they tolerate cold well. However, it's still best to protect young bushes, especially if you need to cover roses for the winter in the Volga region and other regions with long winters. To ensure the plant develops healthy, strong roots and blooms abundantly the following spring, formative pruning is carried out in the fallStarting in August, park roses no longer need to be loosened or watered. Before the first frost, the bushes are hilled and covered with soil or peat to a depth of 15 cm.

Floribunda genus and groundcover

Floribunda plants must be pruned and covered for the winter. Shoots no more than 25 cm tall should remain above the soil. These are covered with peat or soil.

Groundcover roses generally don't require additional protection. The exception is winters with low temperatures and no snow. The simplest solution is to cover low bushes with spruce branches or lutrasil.

Types of protective structures

In temperate climates, rose shelters can be provided for the winter using both framed and frameless structures. The former requires more labor, but is far more effective. This type of structure protects roses from rotting thanks to an air cushion.

You can make a frame yourself from metal rods, thin pipes, wooden slats, or wire. This "hut" is covered with plywood or boards. Old baskets will also work. The frame can be shaped in various ways—spherical, rectangular, pyramidal, or conical. Bushy varieties thrive best in a spherical shelter during the winter, while a conical shelter is convenient for shorter plants.

The procedure for constructing a frame from metal rods:

1. The bush is prepared in advance - it is cut or bent to the ground.
2. Points for installing supports are marked around.
3. Several rods are bent over the plant, forming arches. Their ends are buried 10 cm into the ground.
4. In the area of ​​the dome of the future structure, all the arches are secured with a bar.
5. Cover the top with material - lutrasil, film, burlap, etc.
6. At the edges, the insulating material is fixed to the ground using stones and bricks.

Frameless shelters are ideal for older bushes that can't be bent down to the ground without breaking the shoots. No pipes or wire are required for construction. All you need is the covering material and heavy objects to secure it.