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Helping roses survive the winter is an important part of gardening in Northern Utah. As you relax in front of a cheery fire on cold winter nights, it is nice to know you've done what's needed to help plants cope with the winter conditions as well.
Check roses to make certain they are correctly winterized. The perils of the next few months are hazardous to the plants. Taking a few simple precautions helps them survive and be more attractive next season. Rose bushes should not receive the final pruning until next spring.
Selectively pruning the tops of the plants keeps them from breaking down with the snow and whipping in the wind. These types of damage are often just as devastating as the cold temperatures.
Remove the top branches where the blooms were formed. The candelabra, as they are called, are likely to catch the snow and blow in the wind. This uproots the plant or breaks the canes. Cut the plants back to about 4 feet high, but delay the final pruning until buds swell next spring.
Roses are marginally hardy and can be severely damaged by extreme cold. Prevent this from happening by mulching plants now that the temperatures have dropped.
Pile a cone of soil, compost or other organic matter over the center of the plant. The easiest way to solve the problem is to use material that can be raked back and left as mulch next spring.
Loose leaves are not satisfactory because they will blow away. Mulching protects the plants from drying out and from temperature extremes.
Some gardeners erroneously suppose that mulches, wraps and other protective devices are to keep the plants warm. This is not true, because unlike animals, plants produce no heat.
Their temperature rises and falls with the ambient air temperature so coverings and mulches do not keep them from freezing. Using them keeps the plants from wild temperature extremes.
It often surprises gardeners to find out plant roots are less hardy than the trunks and branches. Some rose varieties survive winter temperatures of minus 30 degrees F and yet the roots are damaged at temperatures of 15 degrees F. Overwintering woody plants in above ground containers is not recommended.
Rose plants in pots need special care. The care varies according to the plant growth habit and whether the plants are deciduous or evergreen. Roses can survive without light for the winter so their protection is more flexible.
Keep them warm by storing them in a cellar or other protected location. If that is not feasible, consider surrounding the plants with wire mesh or boards to form an enclosure. Fill the enclosure with leaves to keep temperature more moderate, avoiding wild temperature fluctuations.
Never try to protect plants by wrapping them with plastic covers. Clear plastic traps the heat and warms the plants well above ambient levels. When the sun goes down, the temperatures come crashing down from these elevated levels and plants are damaged.
Avoid wrapping or covering the plants with any dark colored materials because these absorb the heat from the sun and cause the same wild temperature extremes. Written by: Larry A. Sagers Extension Horticulture Specialist Utah State University
