Somewhat Newbie - Please Help Me Protect My Garden for Winter

16 years ago

This winter will be my third winter with roses. Last winter (2007) I lost 4 rose bushes after we had 3 weeks straight of 0 degrees in Feb. Since I only have a tiny city garden with 7 roses total, that was a drastic reduction. I didn't protect my roses at all last winter, because the previous winter (2006) I didn't protect them, and had no problems whatsoever, but 2006 was a mild winter. I am hoping you experts can guide me. I did look at the Roses Forum FAQ, but need a bit more guidance than that.

Also, I have a small front plot that faces SE, and is z5b for sure. My back plot faces NW, with some shade, and is literally 10 degrees cooler, so is a z5a. Strangely, all the roses that died over the winter were in the milder front garden. But that could be cause I only have in the back Darlow's Enigma and a mystery rose that was there when I moved in, so perhaps they're tougher.

I replaced the roses that died with roses specified to be for z5 or z4. They thrived over the summer, but are nevertheless only one season old. I noticed my neighbor protects her garden with evergreen branches laid over everything. Would that work? Also, When do I put the protection down? Thanks so much!

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Comments (6)

both
16 years ago
For my climbers their first year when they are still young I put straw around them and wrap them with burlap. Some of the Lowes have straw and I get burlap from Walmart. I wrap around Thanksgiving. You also could get rose cones. Menards and garden stores cary them. Put a brick on the top so that they don't blow away. I plan on using rose cones on two Niko Blue Hydrangea and will see if they bloom for me next year. Good Luck. Hey, what roses did you plant? Amy
veilchen
16 years ago
What are the names of your roses? Many are labeled as zone 5 or even 4, but obviously haven't been tested and promptly die in a cold winter.

I use a 12' mound of pine needles for protection of some of my least hardy or newer roses. Probably hard to find for you in the city. Try the straw like both recommends, keeping in mind you're going for dry and loose vs. matted down and wet, whatever material you use. Matted down & wet over the winter means fungal disease.

I don't apply my protection til the ground freezes and roses are truly dormant, sometimes closer to Christmas than Thanksgiving.
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To the OP if you're still reading - I would pay attention to Mad Gallica. NYS it hilly and once you leave NYC, the altitude and temps are not always rose-friendly. Down in NYC, most of those roses aren't going to be no-spray. I can grow teas and I'm about a mile from the Brooklyn Botanical Garden and they can't,. We're on the perimeter of the zone for those and I happen to have a protected area, whereas in the BBG, they don't, so the winters are much harsher for them. I'd say forget teas altogether. I pull out anything I have to spray - I'm not going to spend weekends suiting up and spraying toxins just so I can look at some roses. What grows no-spray for me is La Marne, a great polyantha that should do well for you too because it blooms into December, Knockout, Prairie Sunrise and Serendipity by Buck, Isabella Sprunt which will die in your region, Climbing James Galway - which gets HUGE, Lyda Rose, Darwin's Enigma, Pink Above All, and maybe Pearle d'Or, which might survive in your area. Some of them actually do get some blackspot, but they don't defoliate. Most of the other roses I grow are going to die in your climate. In Michigan I also grew Prairie Harvest, Belinda's Dream, William Baffin, and Rose de Rescht and those seemed to do OK except that the first 2 would die down to the ground every year. They did again but I was out there last week and they've sprung right back up. I prune them down anyhow, so the fact that they get significant dieback isn't an issue. All of the roses are own-root though, so I don't know about grafts as I've only grown 2 roses in my life that were grafted. Good luck. Just remember, there are thousands of roses and one way to cut down on your choices is to limit yourself to roses that will thrive in your area.
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onewheeler
16 years ago
If your roses really need protection then wait till after a few hard frosts and the ground begins to freeze. Xmas tree boughs after xmas do offer a bit of protection.

I used to try to protect tender roses only to find out that the methods I was using caused more harm than good, I now buy only roses that are hardy to my zone, 5b. However, if I have a cutting that I want to protect then I will use wood chip mulch but not till the ground is begining to freeze. Covering the roses too early might cause new growth and fungus to start, neither of which do you want.

Good luck. If you could tell us the names of the roses you planted then we could probably tell you if they need protection.

Valerie
both
16 years ago
Yes, Christmas might be better. I think I wrapped too early last year causing some problems with my Fourth Of July climber.
friedajune
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks for your advice. And although I live in the city, I have a horse outside of the city (1 hr. drive), and do have access to straw (and, of course, lots o' manure which my roses seem to love).

Here is a list of my roses:

In front garden, facing SE, z5b:
Carefree something (I am not sure which)
Country Dancer
Lyda Rose
Marie Pavie
Snow Gosling

In back garden, facing NW, z5a:
Darlow's Enigma
Mystery rose that was there when I move in
karl_bapst_rosenut
16 years ago
I found wood shavings to be great protection for roses. They drain fast, don't hold water, and can be worked into the soil where they'll breakdown fast. Small bales can be purchased at some pet supply places. It's sold for animal bedding. I used 5 gallon buckets with the bottoms removed around the bushes, then fill it with the shavings. You can do the same with a rose cone. Cut the top off and fill it up with the shavings. Shredded oak leaves work well also.
To get the bucket or rose cone over the bush, tie the canes together. Don't prune until spring.
Winter protection begins when you plant your rose, Make sure you bury the bud union 4-6 inches below the soil surface.
I suspect your loss this year was due to the April freeze, not any cold temps we had earlier.

Somewhat Newbie - Please Help Me Protect My Garden for Winter

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Somewhat Newbie - Please Help Me Protect My Garden for Winter

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