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 ...
Hi, Phillip--Wonderful photos as always. My tea olive blooms are just starting--yours seems way ahead. You're warmer than we are, right? Zone 8? Maybe you've had more rain . . .Anyway, a lovely posting.
ReplyDeleteYour blooms look wonderful in September. The roses especially seem to like this month!
ReplyDeleteThanks for joining in for bloom day,
Carol, May Dreams Gardens
Great shots of your roses, Phillip and I love that Crepe Myrtle.
ReplyDeleteLove your blooms Philip. I always think of fall when I see rose hips and Crepe Myrtle.
ReplyDeleteLove that Victor. Very pretty pictures.
ReplyDeleteCosmo, we are in zone 7.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous photos. I envy your roses. My roses have been a battle for the last few years. Japanese beetles and not rose rosette disease. As I lose bushes, I will not be replacing them.
ReplyDeleteYour weeping china doll is so lovely.
Marnie
Hi Phillip, As always, I am in love with your garden. You have captured a couple of things that I have never been able to photograph clearly, one being that black and blue salvia. I think the crapes are difficult too, you have done well as both a gardener and a blogger! Congrats!
ReplyDeleteFrances at Fairegarden
new url
http://fairegarden.wordpress.com/
Everyone seems to have Goldenrod but me! Maybe I need to invest in some of the golden beauty...
ReplyDeleteLove those roses - is Mrs. R. M. Finch a china? Mutabilis and Weeping China Doll are two of my favorites, but both are beginning to be shaded out; I need to take cuttings this fall and start some new ones for a sunnier spot (like I have one of those!). My Osmanthus hasn't bloomed yet (it's either too young or too shaded), but it's supposedly O. fragrans 'aurantiacum', so I wish it would flower so I could tell if the blooms are really orange. I'd love to have a Poncirus someday, if I ever have the space. Those bring back happy family vacation memories for me which involve cows and a swimming pool - a long story which has bored anyone to tears with whom I've ever shared it...
ReplyDeleteYour Rosa mutabilis is charming in its simplicity, but I must confess that I really like the "Weeping China Doll" Rose best. It's been difficult, but I've resisted the impulse to deadhead my new Rose & I'm finally getting hips. Do you ever eat yours? I'm afraid of Ponciris - that thing looks vicious. I'm always so envious when I see Crepe Myrtle blooms, and "Victor" is such a frilly fellow.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos of gorgeous blooms. I have Salvia envy :)
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited about this weather. I have been outside all week catching up on garden stuff.
ReplyDeleteJeff, Mrs. R.M. Finch is a polyantha rose.
ReplyDeleteLove the leaf colour of the plecthrantus (spelling ???)
ReplyDeleteI am late visting all the bloom day posts. It is increasingly difficult to check in on everyone. You have some nice things in your garden and few of them are in mine also. I am waiting for someone to make a cake that tastes like the Osmanthus smells.
ReplyDeleteYou either have a steadier hand than me, or a much better camera!
ReplyDeleteYou take very nice pictures.
Hi Phillip -- you have a beautiful garden! I see that you've linked to my Defining Your Home Garden blog. I'm adding a link to yours. I'm so glad that I found your site! The photos are gorgeous! Cameron
ReplyDeleteSo your garden is already fragrant with Tea olives and roses, Phillip? Wandering your beautiful Bloom Day gives me hope that will happen here, too.
ReplyDeleteMy three Teas/Sweet olives opened a couple of flowers, then went back to closed mode when the temperatures returned to the nineties.
The graceful white lespedeza is very intriguing!
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Beautiful garden! I wish I have the space to garden. I do all my gardening on my tiny deck. Nice photography too.
ReplyDelete