Step 2 In Preventing Winter Damage To Your Roses
comments (0) December 6th, 2012 in blogs
Paul Zimmerman, contributor
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Sometimes, a little ice is a good thing!
Photo: Paul Zimmerman Roses
Last week we talked about trimming the long canes on your roses back a bit so the winter winds wouldn't whip them and snap them off. This week we'll add another tip to your arsenal.
Water.
Winter damage is more often caused by winds than by cold. Think about it. You've all been outside on a cold day with no wind. While your hands and face are cold, it's not the same dry, chapping feeling you get outside on a cold windy day. Those cold winds just pull the moisture out of your skin to the point where feel like taking a chap-stick bath!
The same thing happens to your roses. Those winter winds howl against the exposed canes, drying them out and even causing die back sometimes. I realize during dormancy most of the sap, water etc has migrated down to the roots for this very reason, but I've still seen them do damage.
This is where water comes in. But don't water the ground.
Water the canes.
That's right, just before a winter windstorm is about to hit, see if you can bet some water on the exposed canes. Sprinkler's, garden hose - anything will do. If it freezes on the canes, so much the better. The principal behind that is the same as citrus farmers use in north Florida when they get a freeze. The overhead water so ice forms around the fruit. The ice actually insulates, and in fact underneath the ice it's just above freezing. Plus, the ice acts as a barrier against the winter winds.
A gentle wind, or even a short blast doesn't call for this kind of drastic action. But, when your local weather forecaster leads off the news looking all excited about actually having something interesting beyond the days temperatures, you know it's time to overheard water your winter roses.
Happy Roseing
Paul
posted in: winter, care
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Everyone loves roses. If you always wanted to add roses to your garden but were too intimidated by their diva reputation, Roses Are Plants, Too is the blog for you.
Paul Zimmerman has grown thousands of roses for over 15 years and for ten of those years in a sustainable manner. His common-sense approach shows you how to integrate garden roses into your landscape by looking at them as nothing more than flowering shrubs, all the while encouraging you to trust your own "Gardener's Instincts" in the care of these beautiful plants.
You will learn how to prune and train climbing roses, and how to get the most "ka-bloom" out of your shrub, David Austin and Knockout rose bushes. You'll get tips on growing roses organically and trimming them all season to keep their shape. You'll discover the difference between own-root and grafted roses, and more. Much of the instruction will be via videos that Paul produces himself!
Paul Zimmerman ran a rose care company in Los Angeles before moving to South Carolina to start Ashdown Roses. Now he focuses on rose education and teaching via Paul Zimmerman Roses. He lectures, gives workshops, and judges rose trials around the world, and it is this experience he brings to this blog.
Whether you are new to roses or an experienced grower, Paul will open your garden to the vast diversity our national flower offers.
If you have questions about roses and rose care or would like to share your own experiences please visit our Roses Are Plants, Too discussion forum.
To inquire about Paul's workshops and lectures, email him at paul@paulzimmermanroses.com.
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