Rose preparation and pruning for winter

Many gardeners mistakenly believe that roses can thrive without professional care. However, this approach results in a garden filled with ordinary rose hips, not beautiful and fragrant bushes. Absolutely all rose varieties require special care and maintenance. Some are less demanding, while others require specific guidelines. That's why every gardener should remember to regularly prune roses for the winter.

Stages of plant preparation

Absolutely all varieties of roses, even those grown in temperate climates, require careful shelter before the onset of cold weather. But before embarking on this crucial stage, it's essential to allow the roses to enter dormancy. Experienced gardeners know many subtleties that determine the beauty of future buds.

Correct pruning

Knowing how to properly prune roses for the winter will help the shrub's root system strengthen properly and build up a supply of nutrients for spring use. Furthermore, the rose will rejuvenate and produce more beautiful buds.

If you've properly pruned your roses in the fall and protected them for the winter, you won't have to worry about the bush's health, even if the weather gets too cold. Each rose variety has its own rules, but All of them have the following advantages:

1. Shortened shoots are much easier to cover for the winter.
2. The rose will be protected from damage by various bacteria and pests.
3. With the arrival of spring, the growth of new shoots on the bushes increases.
4. A properly pruned plant will produce new flower stalks correctly.
5. The root system develops more rapidly.
6. Pruning unnecessary shoots helps the bushes accumulate nutrients, which promote active growth in the spring.

The pruning schedule can be short or long, or even medium. If the rose was given to a gardener as a gift and they couldn't identify the rose variety, it's best to choose the latter pruning method. All immature, old, and damaged branches are trimmed. There should be no shoots growing into the bush. Dried buds and leaves are also removed.

Balanced feeding

Fertilizing with the arrival of autumn is essential to fully restore the mineral balance in the soil and to give roses renewed vigor after abundant flowering and pruning. Moderate fertilization significantly increases the bush's winter hardiness and strengthens its immune system. Positive results are noticeable if fertilizing is done in early September and two weeks before the onset of frost.

When the weather gets significantly colder, the use of nitrogen fertilizers is strictly prohibited, as they stimulate vegetation. The gardener's main goal is to slightly slow down the plant's growth. The emphasis should be on strengthening the root system, which is achieved by using magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium. If desired, gardeners can use special granular fertilizers, scattering them around the plant in small quantities. However, most gardeners prefer a tried-and-true option: gradual dissolution of mineral fertilizer in water.

Modern products allow you to replace traditional root fertilization with foliar spraying. For the first option, take ten liters of clean water, two tablespoons of phosphate, half a teaspoon of boric acid, and one tablespoon of potassium sulfate. A high-quality foliar fertilizer can be prepared from the same ingredients, but in a weaker concentration. As for natural fertilizers, wood ash is best.

Effective pest control

Scheduled preventative treatment of plants is carried out only after moisture-replenishing watering, pruning, and fertilizing. This step always completes comprehensive rose care in the fall. Once every centimeter of the roses has been treated, the bushes are earthed up and covered.

It's important to note that treating plants before the onset of cold weather is crucial, as mature fungal spores fall along with the leaves to the ground, where they can remain until the following spring. Even the most resilient varieties can be susceptible to severe diseases. For spraying, you can use not only time-tested products but also improved formulations.

Experienced gardeners prefer a 3% ferrous sulfate solution. Only plastic, glass, or enamel containers can be used to prepare this solution. Metal items, when combined with ferrous sulfate, will cause an undesirable chemical reaction.

If powdery mildew or black spot has settled on the bush, then For effective control, you can safely use the following drugs:

• Fundazol.
• Karatanov EC.
• Zineb.
• Ridomil gold.
• Benomyl.

All pathogenic microorganisms share a major drawback: they quickly adapt to modern chemicals, necessitating the use of a new, equally effective solution each time. It's best to avoid using biofungicides during fall treatments, as they are only effective at above-zero temperatures and are completely useless in cold weather. To prevent re-infection of the shrub, it's important to treat not only the plant but also the surrounding soil.

Necessary tools

To properly prune roses for the winter, you can purchase a specialized set of tools from the gardening section. These tools are often found in large greenhouses where rose seedlings are sold. If necessary, you can consult with experienced gardeners who can help you choose high-quality scissors and other tools.

For rose care The following tools must be prepared:

• Garden saw.
• Scissors.
• A sharp garden knife.
• Durable hedge trimmer.
• Secateurs.

To avoid damaging delicate plants, all tools must be well sharpened. Only then will the blade reach the outermost branches, and the gardener protect their hands from thorns. Regular pruning shears are excellent for cutting branches up to 2.5 centimeters long. Professional hedge trimmers come in the form of heavy-duty pruning shears for larger shoots. Long handles are beneficial, allowing the gardener to remove thick branches without much effort. They should be held with both hands.

Care techniques for each variety

Regardless of the rose variety, pruning should begin with foliage removal. It's worth noting that foliage doesn't always fall off on its own, and leaving it on the bush is simply unacceptable. Experienced gardeners know well that many wild roses are evergreen, and these have been used in the development of certain cultivars. Under a thick layer of snow or in a sheltered area, leaves continue to breathe and evaporate moisture, which can trigger unwanted reactions. Most often, branches are subject to rotting, which causes the rapid spread of bacteria.

Fragrant hybrid tea

These roses are incredibly popular among gardeners. This is because the bushes are highly resistant to sudden temperature changes and are capable of producing large buds in a wide range of colors. Many varieties are ideal for cutting, as they produce a single, large rose at the end of each shoot.

The flowering period begins in mid-June and ends in early October. This is why experts recommend following basic fall rose pruning guidelines for beginners. For the winter, the plant should be carefully treated and protected from severe frosts. Pruning can be moderate or light, with shoots only being cut back by half.

Unusual climbing

Two varieties of these roses are grown in Russia. Experts classify them as clumbers and ramblers. Each variety requires its own pruning methods. The final pruning schedule depends on the total number and length of shoots. Original large-flowered varieties produce a majority of buds, which are located at the very top of the shoots. During routine pruning, a third of all shoots are removed. No more than 10 buds should remain on each individual branch.

Lush bush roses

Only proper pruning can achieve the amazing effect of a single plant blooming several times per season. Proper pruning of shoots in the fall ensures that the rose will withstand severe frosts and maintain a strong immune system. If the gardener neglects this rule, the bush will weaken and will not bloom profusely during the warmer months.

Next, remove immature shoots, which will die anyway with the arrival of cold weather. Avoid leaving branches growing inside the bush, flowers, leaves, and unopened buds. The cut should be made at a point 1 centimeter from the outer bud. These plant care guidelines apply to both mature and very young bushes.

Indispensable floribundas

These bushes are distinguished by their vigor and delicate fragrance. Proper pruning is essential for these roses. Excessive pruning can weaken the plant's immunity so much that it will not produce flowers for several years. However, insufficient pruning also has its drawbacks. The vulnerable shoots will be so weak that they will not survive the cold winter.

Unpretentious park

Many amateur gardeners grow these varieties without any pruning. However, scheduled removal of unwanted shoots helps maintain the plant's harmonious shape and increase the number of buds. All flowering shoots are pruned after the end of the growing season. Only the young growth that has grown over the year should remain. Weak and diseased branches are removed completely. Side shoots should be 15 centimeters long.

Helpful tips from experts

All petals and cut branches must be carefully removed from under the bush and burned. Failure to do so may introduce pathogens into the open ground, which will inevitably harm the plant itself. After treatment with a protective agent, allow the roses to dry slightly. With the arrival of spring, copper sulfate should be used, which is most effective at above-zero temperatures.

Since proper covering prevents the ground beneath the bush from freezing, mice and even rats can infest the sawdust. They feed on the rose's root system, causing irreparable damage to the plant. They can be repelled with swabs soaked in Vishnevsky ointment or pieces of burnt wool. These items should be placed inside the insulated frame.