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 ...
Lots of beautiful flowers!
ReplyDeleteI especially like all the Clematis blooms.
Happy Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day!
Thanks Lea!
DeleteWow! What a lot of gorgeous blooms you have. Love that 'Marchesa Boccella' rose.
ReplyDeleteThat is a nice one!
DeleteI am SO envious of your Clematis, Phillip. That Galega is interesting but I can't even find the genus in my sunset Western Garden Book, which can't be a good sign.
ReplyDeleteKris, that is surprising. Joy Creek used to carry it but they are closed now.
DeleteOther than Arabella my Clems have long gone over-and Arabella does look dreadful even as it continues to pump out the blooms. I have 2, so I am doing an experiment and cutting one of them back to about 2 feet to see what happens.
ReplyDelete'Arabella' is fairly new to me. It has not been that vigorous yet.
DeleteThanks for sharing your beautiful blooms, Phillip. You have gorgeous flowers in your area. We are suffering from the heat in western Kentucky. Daily watering is a must for us right now.
ReplyDeleteOh no, I sure don't miss that! :(
DeleteOh my, fabulous Clematis! 'Essex' and 'Phenomenal' make a great pairing, too.
ReplyDeleteSo envious of your Foxtail Lily bloom! (I had no success with this bulb).
ReplyDeleteI love the Gold Buttons and Carex combo: very cool. Are you growing the Alstroemeria in a pot? Is it behaving well in your garden?
Chava
The alstroemeria is in the ground. So far, so good. This is the second year.
DeleteWow! That first photo is sure bright! Beautiful.
ReplyDelete