WINTERING YOUR ROSES

Dear Stan:

Here it is the end of October with snow on the ground and my hybrid roses are still green and looking healthy. I covered them with a couple inches of peat moss before the snow. Should I now mound them with the peat moss? They are in a sheltered corner and the snow has melted there. Should I cut them back? This is their first year and I'd appreciate any advice you could give me to help them over winter. Could you e-mail me back as I can't listen to your show for the entire 3 hours (as much as I'd like to!).

Thanks,
Donna



Donna - There is still time to protect your roses for the winter. By Nov. 15, cut them back half way , water in about 5 gallons just before you mulch them with dry peat moss. The best way to maintain the mulch is to use a sturdy card board box that when the bottom is cut out, will easily fit over the rose and be some 10 to 12 inches above the cut back stems. Now fill the box with the peat moss leaving the top open so snow can be piled up and over the box containing the rose and the peat. Stan.

 

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