Cl. Blaze, Knock Out Rose winter care

18 years ago

I purchased four Climbing Blaze Roses. They are growing nicely on lattice. Two are against a western facing wall. I'd like to keep them on the lattice. If I put dirt over the crown and wrap them in burlap with leaves will they survive the winter? I had eight Knock Out Roses last year. I didn't give them any protection but I did shovel snow over them last winter. They all died. I purchased one new Knock Out Rose and I buried the crown three inches below the soil. Do I need to cover this rose? I also purchased two Morden Roses. I put these in last week. Do these need winter protection? I have tried to winter over some tea roses in the past. I put soil over the top of the rose put a tomato cage around it and added straw. To keep the straw in place, I wrapped the tomato cage with plastic. It was a lot of work and all my roses died. The roses I planted are in rock so the Minnesota Tip method won't work. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks

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Comments (6)

selkie_b
18 years ago
My favorite way of wintering roses is to make a cage out of chicken wire with about 9" or more space between it and the rose. Stake it in lightly so it won't blow or shift. Mound about 6+ inches (up above the graft in your case, mine are all "own root") of compost, then FILL the cage with leaves, packed a bit, but not too much - weather and snow'll do that, and you do need a little air in there for insulation. I get some burn off but this really seems to protect the roots and should protect your grafts.

-Marie
Nettie
18 years ago
Rose growing and Minnesota is a lot of trial and error for each of us- I've killed more than have lived but I'm stubborn (or stupid). I planted tender hybrid teas (15)last year and asked a similar question to yours..Jan (Dentaybow)posted a link for the Far North forum and some of their methods of rose protection. I tried one that amounted to planting the bud union 4 inches below soil level- then in the fall mound with 18 inches of soil and cover with another foot or so of mulch and cover with a tarp for winter. The key was that the whole entire bed was done this way, amounting to more than 2 feet of protective covering and complete surrounding for the roses in the center of the bed. I used raked leaves.I planned the bed to be rose-only with winter protection in mind. They all had dieback but only 3 died- some on the outside were "one-cane wonders" until I took mercy and shovel pruned them. I have Mordens and other hardy roses that I didn't do anything to- some years they dieback to the soil but then send up new shoots, don't be too hasty in writing them off in the spring. The climbing Blaze? I would wrap in burlap and bend them over and cover with some kind of mulch in my yard but like I said, it's trial and error...and hard work, sigh.
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If you want a big statement plant somewhere along the strip, you could try Darlow's Enigma. He makes a nice architectural statement, and I've never in my life deadheaded him. Wouldn't know how to get close enough without serious bloodletting, and he never needs it. I don't think he sets noticeable hips, and he blooms more or less around the clock. I also rarely if ever prune him, maybe a little tip trimming if I feel like it, but he mostly drops off nonfunctional twigs at the ends of branches without much help from me. I agree that Bonica is mostly self cleaning, or at least doesn't look ratty if I don't clean, and Marie Daly is similar. Several of the Easy Elegance roses do fine without any deadheading from me at all, and they're both winter hardy and pretty continual blooming. Little Mischief is short and wide dark pink, Yellow Brick Road is tall and slim, Kashmir is medium and red, Pinktopia is about 4-5' and medium pink. I'd say that Calypso, Music Box, and Sweet Fragrance can be left without deadheading but look a little less clean if they're not tended at least once a month. I think the hybrid musks like Wilhelm or Penelope would do fine without deadheading, and bushy singles like Ballerina or Robin Hood might be good. You don't want roses in a public space that are too tempting to nip off the flowers for cutting, so the singles and mass clusters are better than any hybrid teas. I know what you mean about maintaining church roses with a minimum of effort. My church has 70 or more Home Run bushes around their property, and about 5 years ago put a notice in the bulletin because no one had ever pruned them and there was all kinds of dead wood looking terribly ratty and half dead. Easy care isn't no care, even for Knockouts and similar roses. Now I just go in every spring and do a fairly brutal prune once a year, throw on some fertilizer, and they get absolutely no care till next spring. Driving by they look fine, though I'm sure my fingers would be itching to deadhead something if I got right up close to them. Oh, there's also a Seafoam or two around the other side of the church that I don't prune any more than my own Darlow's Enigma, but I rather think Seafoam looks ratty at the best of times so more care wouldn't help it much. I'm sure the congregation appreciates your attention and care. Cynthia
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jimmy63
18 years ago
i have knockout roses in barrel planters ,do i need to cut them back? will they survive in a planter?i live in tenn.
Nettie
18 years ago
I don't have any knockout roses- a few years back I had hardy roses in planters which I threw into an unheated shed and did nothing else and they survived just fine- pruned them in the spring and they up and grew like normal.
This is really the time of year that I regret having roses- now the big debate starts in my head..what should I do with them this year, how much do I want to fuss, which ones can't I live with out yada yada yada. Fifteen of them- four feet tall and healthy waving at me everytime I go outside......
mooonie
18 years ago
Morden roses are very hardy. Even so, with those and the candian explorer named climing shrubs, I alway put a good pile of soil on the crown.
I put in 2 climbers this yr...ramblin' reds. I will take the same precaution with them as the other ones. It seems to be worth effort. The Red did great for growth but were a disappointment with the quick fade of the bright red for which they were planted for.
freezengirl
18 years ago
One thing to think about is that covering roses with mulch to early is a commen problem. The mulch should be put on AFTER there is a good chance that the weather (and ground) will STAY cold. It is hard waiting until it is cold enough, especially hard on the gardeners working in to cold weather, but you will have better luck with survival rates for your roses.

Cl. Blaze, Knock Out Rose winter care

Comments (6)

selkie_b

Nettie

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