MRS FAQs Post: November 17, 2005

Janet Larkin, November 17, 2005 When do you begin winterizing roses? Do you wait until the ground is frozen and the plant is dormant or should I be doing this now?

11/1/05 Dear Janet, It is best to wait till the ground is frozen, the plant will be dormant then. The most important reason to wait till the ground is frozen is because the nasty rodents should have found a home for the winter, and won't get snuggly in your mulched roses for the season, and eating the canes and more for winter snacks! Two shovelfuls of manure over the roses, and this manure does not have to be fully composted, it will be by spring, and won't burn the plant or it's roots. Put this over the rose first, it should deter rodents. Then add your mulch. In the spring, just take the mulch off the roses, and spread the manure out to form a saucer around the bush so your watering/fertilizing efforts go to the plan's roots, not all over the surrounding ground. Good luck with your roses this winter, Joan Gotlibson Maine Rose Society Member

11/1/05 It works best to have the ground frozen, but there is often a short window between freezing and the first snow fall, so you have to act quickly to winterize in this short window. Thanksgiving might be a good time to begin winterizing. Jerry Cinnamon Maine Rose Society Member

11/20/05 This is easy. When roses go into dormancy,the plant's food travels backward thru the cambriam layer back to the roots;you can't tell this. However, you can observe telltale signs of dormancy including the hallmark leaf drop. This occurs before the ground freezes. An early killing frost will knock the leaves off immediately. Now get busy! Prune your roses if you haven't done so. Next,sweep up all dead leaves away from the bud union or if your bushes are fortunately own-root, clean up OGR's all the way around the drip line. Now, if early enough,do one last feed of Phosphorous-heavy fertilizer. Know what NPK means. Please don't confuse pruning techniques of Hybrid Teas,Floribundas,and Grandifloras with OGRs,English,Renaissance and other shrub roses. That means Damasks,Centifolias,Portlands,Chinas,Bourbons,Musks,and Maine favorites The Rugosas. If in doubt,e-mail me and I will give you some re-prints of articles tha I've written Just pay for the copying and postage. Now your job is to protect your roses from cane and root freeze. Heeling over(named after the maritime technique called "keel hawling"), straw wrapping with Martha's favorite panty hose, or mounding with dirt until Spring Gary O'Neil Maine Rose Society Member

11/21/05 I listened to Paul Parent yesterday morning and he definitely emphasized NOT punning any roses in the fall in Maine and Northern New England. Joan Gotlibson Maine Rose Society Member