There are a number of ways to winterize your roses and it depends on the climate you live in and also the type of rose that you have. Obviously a shrub rose is not going to be cut back but it will still require some maintanance to ensure that it is healthy the following spring. The topic of winterizing your roses is one that is often debated. Some feel that roses don’t need to be winterized, some feel that only a few types need to be and others follow a general rule of thumb, “if it’s a rose, it should be winterized.” I usually follow the latter but don’t feel that you need to.

Now that you have assessed your rose bush and the climate you live in, let’s get to winterizing in general. Since there are a number of different varieties of roses, I will cover them in sections.

Rose Bushes:

Rose bushes, such as hybrid roses, only need minor pruning to prepare for winter. This means that you remove all of the leaves and if you feel it is necessary, cut back the canes of the rose bush until they are about 3 feet long. Once you have cut the canes back, you can use a rose bush cone or chicken wire and stakes to create a circular enclosure aroudn the rose bush and pile some soil around the base of the bush. Generally, you want to use about 12 inches of soil. Once the soil has frozen, pile another 4 inches of mulch on top of the soil and make sure it is spread around the entire bush.

Climbing Roses:

Climbing roses do not need as much work as a rose bush does but it will still take a bit of time to secure your climbing roses for winter, usually because of the fiddly parts the job entails. Before you remove your climbers from the trellis, or fixture that they are attached to, you will need to go under the bush and remove any small canes that seem to be growing uncontrolled. After that, remove the climber from the trellis and lay it flat on the ground. Cover them with soil and leave them for the winter, come spring you can reattach them to the trellis.

Before you winterize your climbing roses, make sure that they need to be. Many varieties of climbing roses are hardy enough so they will not need any winterizing to be done.

Rose Shrubs:

For the shrubs in your yard, all you will need to do is crawl under your shrub and cut away any dead canes so there is ample air circulation through the plant. After that, you’re done, except for the usual care of your rose bush before winter, such as removing dead blooms, ect.

With all rose bushes, it is recommended that you remove all of the leaves that you clipped off from the area. Don’t leave them in yoru garden since they could be covered with insect eggs. Another recommendation is to spray your roses with lime sulfur after you winterize them and throughout the winter if you can. This is not a necessity but it will help alleviate blackspot in the spring.

Sirena Van Schaik

Related posts:

1. Climbing Roses Grow On Longer Canes
2. Five Ways to Take Care of your Roses in Winter Months
3. Rambling Roses: How to Tame those Climbing Roses in your Garden

“One of the top tricks of great gardeners is to plant in the fall,” says Stephanie Cohen, author of many gardening books.

“Establishing most plants in the fall is easy and an excellent way to ensure they’ll be successful in the spring. Adds Cohen, “The weather and soil conditions are better in the fall, as opposed to spring when it tends to be cold, muddy and wet.”

Cohen recommends first, when planning your color-filled garden, to choose easy to grow and drought-resistant plants. Check with your local agricultural extension if you’re unsure what plants will do well in your region and climate. Some particularly hardy flowers – like impatiens, petunias and pansies – can bloom year-round in moderate climates. Be sure to plant a variety that will bloom at different times in the year and within the season.

Next, incorporate some stunners into your garden planning. Roses may well be the essence of floral elegance, but traditional varieties tend to be fragile and labor intensive. Cohen recommends one of the new landscape shrub varieties, like The Knock Out Roses, that require far less care yet bloom spectacularly year round.

These roses grow well anywhere in the country – from the wintry landscape of Minnesota to the sultry shores of Florida – and come in seven colors and bloom styles to suit every garden and landscaping need. From upright shrubs in containers that cover a hard to reach hillside forming a colorful hedge, to adding a focal point in your garden, these beauties will perform every time.

Moving out of the planning phase, be sure to put your plants in the ground at the time of year that’s best for each. For example, some drought-resistant plants can stand up to summer’s heat and go in the ground anytime, even July or August. Flowers, no matter how hardy, generally have an optimum planting time.

“Fall is an excellent time for planting, and roses are no exception,” says Steve Hutton, plantsman and president of The Conard-Pyle Co.

For fall color, Hutton recommends planting Knock Out shrub roses during the closing months of summer. The flowers will bloom well through the end of September in most hardiness zones. Just remember to give them plenty of water and lots of sun.

When planting, always use fertilizer and consider installing drip lines for irrigation with maximum efficiency and minimum waste. Be sure you know a plant’s preferred sun exposure before you slip it into a bed. Many drought-resistant plants can easily handle full sun, but many flowers crave a mix of sun and shade.

“The right plant in the right spot means longer life with less care and use of natural resources,” reminds Hutton.

Once you’ve established your garden, regular maintenance – like removing dead blooms, pruning roses, etc. – and watering should be all you need to ensure your garden is gorgeous and colorful year round.

Enter the “Knock (Us) Out” Photo Contest

If you’d like some recognition for your hard work and brilliant planting strategies Conard-Pyle is sponsoring the “Knock (Us) Out” photo contest. Enter your photographs online now until Oct. 31, 2008. Competitors should take pictures of their creative use of Knock Out roses in one of three categories – home garden, commercial landscape and most creative use. Grand prize is $350 plus five Knock Out roses and 10 companion plants. Runners-up in each category will win $150 and five Knock Out roses.

Visit www.theknockoutrose.com for contest details.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Related posts:

1. How to Add Roses to Your Spring Garden
2. Rose Gardens Harbor Other Flowers for Color Continuity
3. Fall Vegetable Garden Helps Extend Growing Season

I have to admit, like most gardeners, that many of the plants that I find are either found in a nursery, garden center or on the pages of a gardening magazine or book.  The Knock Out Rose is one that I saw in a Fine Gardening magazine and after seeing the plant, it has been put on my must have list.  This is surprising in itself since I am not a big rose fan.  I mean, I love them in a garden but since they are not my favorite flower, I tend to move away from them and move towards flowers and plants that I love.

The reason why I love the Knock Out Rose is simple.  It is a “Knock Out” with its dark foliage providing a breathtaking backdrop of deep green, which deepens to a dark purple in fall, for this fast growing shrub rose.  The flowers themselves are brilliant colors and you can find this rose in red, pink, blush and rainbow (pink with a yellow center) and sunny (white with a yellow center).  The rose comes in single or double blooms.

Although the color and shrubbery is wonderful, the main draw for me over this flower is the fact that it is fairly hardy and requires very little care.  Generally, you only need to prune in the spring, provide it with proper care, i.e. water, fertilizer, and that is it.  The plant does the rest right down to the deadheads.  This rose is also very resistant to black spots.  The bush itself is very hardy and can survive in Zones 4 to 10.

I honestly do not believe that you can find a rose that requires such a low amount of fuss and have as much glory with a full shrub filled with brilliant blooms.  There is nothing that I find that would deter me from purchasing this rose for my garden, well except space but I can always make more of that.

Sirena Van Schaik

Related posts:

1. Plant of the Week: Camellia
2. Plant of the Week: Cyclamen
3. Five Red Rose Varieties for your Garden