Autumn care for garden roses: how to properly prepare flowers for winter
Content
Proper care in September
Today there are many varieties of roses. They have a specific "appearance" and develop in a special way, but all the processes that take place in the fall are similar for them.
Therefore, it is possible to properly care for plants only by knowing all the "autumn" processes in the life of flowers:
- Slower stem growth and bud development. In the event of a warm autumn, these processes may continue. However, this fact is not an indicator that the process of preparing for the cold season should be postponed. It also makes no sense to carry out intensive fertilizing in the hope of a rich flower crop. The culture received all the necessary minerals, as well as proper care, in spring and summer.
- The beginning of the lignification of the stem. The newly formed bark will be able to protect the shoots from the cold;
- Securing the root of the bush in the soil and accumulating useful substances in it for storage until spring. It is for this reason that transplanting a rose in the fall will give positive results.
- Slowdown of metabolic processes in the plant organism.
That is, nature itself prepares roses for winter. However, this is often not enough. Since the plant loves warmth very much, gardeners need to take care of sheltering their favorites for the cold season.
It is most convenient to divide all activities for preparing roses for winter by month. But it makes no sense to adhere to exact dates, and even more so dates. After all, the division itself is rather arbitrary.
For example, in the northern territories, the cold begins earlier, so some types of preparatory work are shifted by almost a month. Therefore, the most reliable option is to be guided by the weather and climatic conditions of the region. In general, caring for roses in September includes weeding, dyeing the trunks and drying the rose garden.
Video "Preparing for winter"
From the presented video you will learn how to prepare roses for winter time.
Weed
When preparing a crop for winter, you should pay special attention to the soil. The soil must be clean. Therefore, it is necessary to eliminate all weeds and annuals growing near the bushes. The lower leaves of the plants must be removed at a distance of 0.15 - 0.2 meters. This procedure will greatly simplify future hilling.
Color the stems
Care in the fall provides for such an interesting procedure as painting the trunks of roses. Such a procedure will prevent the penetration of pathogens into the microcracks of the bark. How to paint? You can buy garden paint or dilute the "water emulsion" with copper chloride. The trunk must be painted, starting from the bottom and ending at the hilling level (approximately 0.3 meters). You can safely cover the bushes with paint if you find any violations of the integrity of the bark. After complete drying, the plants need to be spud.
If flowering has not stopped, you need to remove all wilted and small buds that will not have time to bloom before the onset of cold weather.
Dry the rose garden
Excessive moisture in the rose garden will not allow the culture to survive in the winter in optimal conditions. What to do? The answer is simple - to dry. The procedure is especially important in damp autumn conditions. For "drying" it is necessary to install high arches above the bushes, which are usually used in greenhouses. After that, stretch the film over them, thus creating a roof. If tall plants cannot get into the shelter, they can be bent slightly to the ground.
Cold readiness
It is necessary to conduct a careful examination of all individuals from different angles. If young shoots do not appear, and the shoots are successfully woody, the preparation of the culture is carried out correctly. Otherwise, you need to correct the situation as soon as possible by taking all the necessary measures.
How to feed
In September, the last feeding is carried out before the onset of cold weather. The soil is fertilized with phosphorus and potassium. It is these chemical elements that make individuals resistant to diseases, stimulate the flowering of crops and the maturation of wood in young plants.
There is also a specific feeding option. Banana peels are buried in the ground under the bushes. It contains a lot of potassium useful for plants.
But manure cannot be used as fertilizer. After all, this organic matter is considered a summer top dressing. The rosette, fed with manure in the fall, releases many young stems, which only interfere with the culture.
Proper care in October
In October, work on the preparation of the royal flowers continues. Cutting should be started when the air temperature stops at 5 ° -7 °.
Pruning
Autumn pruning is an important procedure that simplifies the procedure for covering bushes. First of all, you need to shorten the tall individuals. Typically, the highest are representatives of tea and standard varieties. Otherwise, two-meter beauties will simply die. After all, tall plants cannot be reliably protected from cold weather.
The bushes are pruned and fertilized with potash fertilizers. The height of the individuals of the bush must be shortened by half. Usually these are the following types of culture: floribund, hybrid tea, miniature, polyanthus. Plants with large flowers, as well as shrubs, should be shortened by a third. Small-flowered individuals do not need to be cut off at all, just pinch the growth point. You can determine the best pruning period by following the lunar calendar. It is necessary to rid the plants of the excess on the waning moon.
Disease prevention
To prevent cultural diseases, it is worth doing the following:
- Spraying. Parasites usually endure even severe frosts. Therefore, it is necessary to protect flowers from diseases for the winter. Spraying individuals with a 1% solution of Bordeaux mixture helps a lot.
- Garbage removal. The area where the bushes grow must be completely cleared of fallen leaves and debris. If you have a well-maintained compost pit, all "waste" from the site can be put there. Otherwise, just burn the trash. This will prevent the spread of diseases and pests.
How to wrap correctly
Roses must be properly insulated for the winter. Carrying out the procedure, you need to be especially careful. Correct actions will provoke active spring growth and flowering of the culture, and will also help to keep the individuals alive. But an improperly organized shelter will simply ruin fragile beauties.
The insulation procedure consists of the following stages:
- Cleaning of leaves. Before wrapping, all leaves are removed. The absence of these organs is a guarantee of protection against fungal diseases.
- Digging up the soil. It is better to use a pitchfork for this purpose: this way you will not damage the roots of the plants. If the culture has long shoots, it is necessary to dig them up on one side, which will provoke the "bedding" of the bush.
- Hilling. For the procedure, you must use dry materials: sand, loose soil, peat. Having poured the earth under the root, you need to "build" a height of 0.15 -0.2 meters.Cut off individuals of some varieties will completely hide underground. Such an event will save the kidneys from death even in severe cold.
- Shelter of roses. All shoots must be collected and decomposed. After that, the organs need to be covered. The thickness of the protection must be at least 0.1 meters. You can lay insulation and thicker, the main thing is not to harm the plants. After all, they can suffocate or break. The material for the shelter can be dry grass, spruce branches, brushwood, burlap. In the event of a long and frosty winter, special shelters will need to be organized. A frame should be built around the bushes. It is insulated with cardboard or polyethylene. Roses in November are successfully insulated with snow. The bushes covered by it, even the most fragile ones, will perfectly survive the cold. It is possible to save the culture from the attack of rodents by placing traps before the first snow.
As practice shows, there is a lot of trouble with roses. However, the beauty and aroma of these beauties will convince you that all efforts were not in vain. If you do all the autumn flower care activities correctly, then all your efforts will return to you in the spring and summer as a reward. Royal favorites will delight you with their healthy look.
Video "Top dressing in the fall"
From the video you will learn how to feed roses in autumn.