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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 ...
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Two Rose talks next week

I don't know how I managed this but I have two presentations next week on the same topic. And I don't even do this sort of thing that often! Procrastinator that I am, I will be busy this weekend putting the finishing touches on my Powerpoint programs and I also realize we will be having nice gardening weather this weekend PLUS Sunday night is Oscar night. Anyway, I digress.

Monday night (Feb. 28th) I will be at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens talking to the Birmingham Rose Society about the evolution of our garden and the roses that we grow.

On Thursday, March 3 at 11:30 a.m., I will be at the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library for their gardening series "Get Dirty In The Library" (don't you love it?). My program will be on growing roses. The FLPB has a slew of good programs coming up. Click on the flyer below for more details (also check out their website).

I hope to see you there!





Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
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  1. Jeff VandiverFebruary 25, 2011 at 7:16 AM

    Dang...I wish I could attend, because I know very little about my roses on the property. I'm sure you could teach me everything about them....

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  2. MashaFebruary 25, 2011 at 8:30 AM

    I wish I were there, I really do.... I would love to learn more about your roses. It is so generous of you to share your knowledge and experience with others.

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  3. Dirty Girl GardeningFebruary 25, 2011 at 10:33 AM

    at least it's on the same topic... that should make it a bit easier.

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  4. AnonymousFebruary 26, 2011 at 6:28 AM

    Phillip both links to the library aren't working. Northwest Shoals Community College has programs for advanced learning (those over 60). Since they couldn't get out during the snow, I was asked to show my snow pictures of Tuscumbia to them the end of March. I'm trying to decided if I needed to do it in powerpoint or just as a slide show in MS media. Any suggestions? My daffodils started blooming yesterday after the storm. Mary

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  5. Phillip OliverFebruary 26, 2011 at 11:55 AM

    Mary, the links just worked for me. I am not familiar with MS Media. I like Powerpoint because it is easy to use and easy to add captions to photos. Aside from that, I'm sure any system would work. I would use what you are most comfortable with. Technical difficulties are not fun!

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  6. The Redneck RosarianMarch 3, 2011 at 3:59 AM

    Phillip, So glad to finally meet you at the Birmingham Rose Society Meeting! Thanks again for a wonderful talk on your roses! It's awesome to see how people integrate roses into their landscape. You guys have done an awesome job with that!

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