Winter Rose Care & Pruning
Although major rose pruning is not done until late February into early March, there are a few things I do to get roses settled in for the winter. First, I wait until the first frost has occurred before I do anything. That happened on December 1 this year, a little later than normal. If you do any pruning prior to that, new growth will be encouraged, and it will just be nipped later. I will then do minimal pruning, about 1/3 of the plant or to about waist-high. It does not matter how you make the cuts. More precise pruning will be done in late winter. Giving roses a slight pruning at this time will decrease the damage from strong winter winds. Roses are not deeply rooted, and any long canes can spell trouble. Pick off any remaining leaves, if possible. I know that can be a big job if there are still many leaves left on the plant but you don't want leaves, especially diseased leaves, left to fall and harbor spores for next season. Clean the area around the base of the rose. Rake out ...
Your garden looks so nice with the snow on it. Looks like a coating of frosting.
ReplyDeleteI guess it's easy to appreciate the artistic frosting when the duration is hours instead of months! Nice photos, Phillip!
ReplyDeleteAnnie at the Transplantable Rose
Snow on Camellias is not my idea of a scenic winter wonderland. I hope the blossoms are OK. The rest of your garden is enhanced by the temporary frosting. Lovely pics!
ReplyDeletePhillip, I hope that was the last cold snap we are going to have. How crazy is this weather acting? 77 degrees one day snow a couple of days later.
ReplyDeletePretty, but I hope it didn't harm your camellia flowers.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I'd love to see a post about your purple wall. How it fits into your garden, how it was constructed, etc.
I was just asking about the weather in 'Bama and didn't scroll down and see this post !
ReplyDeleteNow that's the kind of snow that I like -short and sweet. Hope it didn't harm anything.
It is prety, but I'm so over snow!
ReplyDelete