Skip to main content

Featured

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 ...
Post a Comment
Read more
Labels

Star Magnolia - before the freeze gets it


Star Magnolia (Magnolia stellata), very beautiful at the moment, very hard to get a decent photo of it. It always blooms early and usually gets nipped by the cold. We have temperatures predicted to be in the 20s tonight so it might not look like this tomorrow. :(
Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy
Email Post
Labels:

Comments

  1. Lisa at GreenbowMarch 12, 2014 at 10:10 AM

    Good thing you got out there to get the picture. It looks beautiful. OUrs isn't beginning to bloom yet. We won't be far behind.

    ReplyDelete
  2. organicgardendreamsMarch 12, 2014 at 6:01 PM

    Hi Phillip, very beautiful photo of your star magnolia. Hope it doesn't get zapped by the low temperatures that you are expecting. Have you ever thought about protecting it somehow? It doesn't look too tall on the photo, so maybe it is possible to through a tarp over it and put a heating light under it?
    Christina

    ReplyDelete
  3. debsgardenMarch 12, 2014 at 8:03 PM

    So beautiful! I hope your temps won't be as low as predicted. These magnolias always seem to bloom a tad too early. My own Jane magnolia just started flowering a couple days ago, and we are supposed to get to 32 tonight. Your daffodils are also beautiful! I truly hope this is the final cold swipe from winter!

    ReplyDelete
  4. NicMarch 13, 2014 at 4:30 AM

    So lovely. I hope it made it through the night. Here the magnolias will still need at least a week or two...

    ReplyDelete
  5. Phillip OliverMarch 13, 2014 at 8:00 AM

    Christina, it is larger than it looks - I would estimate about 12 feet high. It would be a job to cover it. I don't think the temps got as low as they first predicted. It looked fine this morning although frost damage usually shows up later. We will see!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Edith KentMarch 13, 2014 at 9:41 AM

    It's beautiful Phillip. The Limestone Master Gardeners would like to see your garden again. If you remember. .it was pouring rain last year. When would best time be...May? Are the roses blooming then?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Phillip OliverMarch 13, 2014 at 10:02 AM

    Edith, May is usually the peak time. Just send me an email!

    ReplyDelete
  8. SwimrayMarch 15, 2014 at 8:08 PM

    Yep. It happens to my star magnolia some years, too.
    Ray

    ReplyDelete
  9. sweetbayMarch 21, 2014 at 4:42 PM

    Ah so beautiful, but usually spoiled by cold here too.

    ReplyDelete
  10. RobinLMarch 23, 2014 at 2:20 PM

    We are pretty north of you, but the same problem here. Magnolias always get nipped by frost. But they sure are pretty while they last!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular Posts