Hello!

What wacky, weird, wild, wicked weather we’ve been enjoying up here in the North County this month!
November – all of the stores are quickly getting rid of all the leftover Halloween stuff. And sparkling, shiny new Christmas stuff is starting to overflow on those store shelves. Hmmmm – now if only they could move Halloween to the beginning of October, instead of at the end, and then move Thanksgiving to the beginning of November, instead of at the end, then there would be more time for more Christmas stuff……….

At any rate, we’re not going to talk Christmas stuff today; we’re going to finish up on winterizing our roses. We’re not going to talk Christmas trees today (maybe next week) – we’re going to finish up on winterizing our roses.

Winterizing those roses is only one of those very necessary garden chores that we simply have to do before Mother Nature hunkers down for those long winter months ahead. And last week we talked about some very important ways to protect our outdoor roses, so let’s finish up today because there were a few things that we didn’t get to. So here it goes!

Winter protection is an absolute must if you have those grafted, modern bush roses. You know those hybrid teas, those grandifloras, and those floribundas. Those grafted roses with those knobby, swollen areas near the soil line – those graft unions – these are the ones that need special winter protection.

Of course, the first step is to wait until the roses are dormant. This dormancy usually comes when the rose bushes drop their leaves, usually in November, but sometimes even into December, especially if they are in a well-protected spot. This dormancy means that the sap in the stems has returned to the roots. And it is at this point you can safely prune some of those rose canes. You can take a little off the top to prevent wind damage, the operative word here is “little”. And then you can safely mulch those rose bushes after the ground freezes.

Or you can put rose collars around those canes. These collars can be made from heavy cardboard or from wire mesh, and then fastened together (tied, stapled, glued) to form a cylinder. These cylinders can then be filled with a dry mulching material such as peat moss, or pine bark, or straw.

After these cylinders have been filled, then mound 6 to 10 inches of soil around the bases of the collars. Just remember not to use the soil from around the rose bush itself; otherwise you will subject the roots to cruel and unusual punishment by exposing them to the harsh elements – aka-winter weather. So, don’t do it! Just get that mounding soil from another spot! And the soil that you do use to mound up around those graft unions, or those rose collar cylinders should be light and airy and sandy. This allows for better drainage.

And then you can go on to give your delicate roses even more winter insulation. You can cover them up with burlap bags, or sheets, or Styrofoam covers, or cardboard boxes, or those more expensive rose bush protectors. Just make sure that these outer coverings are securely lashed down, weighted down, anchored, and/or riveted down. Otherwise, with those wicked winter winds that we so thoroughly enjoy up here in the North Country, those rose bush protectors will end up over the river and through the woods to somewhere else, maybe not even in the North Country!

So much for rose bushes!

Climbing roses are treated a little differently. These ramblers can be detached from their supports. The canes can be bent to the ground, and secured with crossties, if necessary. Then they can be covered completely with soil. And, of course, climbing roses are great candidates for burlap wraps or drapes. A short stake or two can be driven into the ground next to the canes to hold down the canes and their drapes. Of course, new soil should be mounded up at the base just like for those rose bushes.

And that about wraps it up for those rose bushes and those climbing roses.

So – have a wonderful Thanksgiving whether or not you go “Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house we go”!

Remember – Eat Smart New York!

And – Bye – Talk to you soon!
D