| David, August 8, 2004
Good Day Mr. Cinnamon, and thank you for your time. I have been an avid plant person for many years, but only last year did I migrate outdoors. This is my first season of roses. Thankfully my green thumb and general knowledge has served me well. However I just read the time life book on roses, and learned that I didn't know a thing. Luckily my general instincts got me through this season, but I have learned that this winter is another story. I have several hybrid teas, a species or wild rose, and my favorite fathers day gift, a Peace ( Love this Bloom Most). After reading this book I have learned where most of my problems lie, improper bed preparation. Neither have I made any preparations for overwintering my roses, something which may be serious here in mooseland (Maine). Any information you could give me on the best time to replant my roses after a proper bed is prepared would be welcome. Most of my roses took, some better than others. The species or wild rose took fastest and best, followed by the Peace (which I love). My red and yellow Hybrid teas took, but not as strongly, and two other teas did not take at all. I salvaged these latter's and placed them in containers which I had thought to overwinter indoors and replant in the spring. After reading the book I am considering doing the same for the two teas which did not take well, and perhaps to everything. By chance the soil is good for roses, being heavy and prepped for perennials. The soil is overmoist, but fortunately I had raised the bed somewhat. I was unaware of the tenderness of rose roots, and so they currently are not shielded from root intrusion by other plants. Now that you have some background on my roses, perhaps you can answer my question. FOR WINTERING PURPOSES, should I pot all my roses to prepare a better bed for them overwinter and keep them indoors? OR Should I construct a protective covering, tying them up and shielding the stalks with mulch. The book recommended a tar paper cylinder to shield them, filled with a light mulch. I had thought a plastic trash can with the bottom cut out, or a more permanent wood structure might work better. The placement of my garden is pretty well shielded, except from storms. During winter it is often a frozen wind tunnel. I had though perhaps to raise the entire bed a foot, mulch all the roses and tarp the whole thing. I am in a heavy clay soil with poor drainage and I plan to raise the bed more anyway. I am unsure which action may benefit the roses most, and exactly when I should start. I am located in Augusta, which the maps locate as a borderline 4-3 zone. I would very much appreciate any tips, recommended reading or links with which I may have use. Thank you for your time. David Blodgett
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| 8/10/04 Hi David, I am located just north of you in Unity Maine so have similar if not colder conditions. I also have clay soil with rocks (glacial till) and use raised beds to plant the roses. Hybrid Tea roses are tender, no matter what you do, so you will from time to time lose a few of them. There are people who grow roses in containers and put them in an unheated space for the winter. As a matter of fact, a friend in Portland has some of the best roses in the eastern US doing just this. Other fiiends in Dover-Foxcroft dig up their plants and place them in an unheated celler, or place an instant garage over them and backfill with leaves. I have too many plants to do this with over 500 bushes, so I simply bury the graft (bud union) two or three inches below grade and then after the ground freezes place 8 to 10 inches of compost over the center of the plant. A snow cover helps insulate. Our most tender plants generally die back to either snow level or the compost mound and need to start over in the spring for a late June bloom. A more elaborate winterizing with tarpaper or other side walls filled with leaves would be good. Your idea of a garbage can seems worth trying. Remember in the spring the roses will heat up, so the top needs to be removable or made of a breathable substance such as pine needles. Of your plants, generally the species will be the most hardy; peace is very tender and is best if it is an own root plant rather than a grafted plant. If it is grafted you need to bury the bud union three inches or so below grade and mound. If you do prepare a higher raised bed be careful of insulating the bed wall on the windward side as the wind will drive frost into the soil where it hits the bed wall. This happened to me this year and I am now adding 2 inch styrofoam on the inside wall of the windward side to perhaps help. I plant my roses in raised beds in holes in the imported soil, which is still clay rich, into which I add promix and compost and triple super phosphate for Hybrid Teas. This probably did not answer all of your questions but perhaps its a start.
Jerry Cinnamon
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| 8/10/04 Sounds like you have a heck of a garden, I wish I had the space. Thanks for the tips. If I choose to dig them up to overwinter inside, how damp should they stay? Also how far around and deep should I dig to ensure not cutting roots? I think that is a sound thought using styrofoam. I will have to keep in touch to see how that works out. I think I will overwinter the fragile roses and prep the species. It is doing well and I have less fear for it. I do not think my peace is own root, that is not common. To determine this would I look for a graft at the bud union? My too teas have weak stalks, is that what you are using triple phospahte for or does that improve your blooms? Also, do you ever have visitors to your garden? I would love to dally an hour or so and see what you have done, I learn better by seeing and doing than reading, lol. Thanks again. David
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