| ellen judd |
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Reply with quote | #1 |
I missed pruning my roses (or any other winterizing) before the snow and cold. Is it too late? Would I harm them by pruning when it warms in a few days?
Ellen
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| Rozmund |
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Reply with quote | #2 |
If you are in Zone 4 or 5 - you are still okay - you still have at least a two week window - if snow is not predicted....it is the ground temperature that matters, as when the ground is still warm which it is compared to zero temps at night -
the roots are still active. Cutting back your perennials, bushes that bloomed in the spring, or roses, signifies to the root system that it now time to end the season....keeping in mind as well, that it is the sun on the leaves that transmits energy to the roots, so when the leaves are gone...the plant will shut down on its own even it you do not cut back. My perennial bed is extensive - the only things I have cut back are plants that just look awful during this immediate time period -
such as shasta daisies - all stalk now - everything else this year I am leaving as our extensive bird population I fear may be in for a cold winter and will welcome all the seed heads that up. Even the shasta daisies that I cut down,
I put them in a pile and was surprised to see rabbits and chippies helping themselves...no doubt to store for the long days of winter. Hope I have helped. Gardening is really never over...one more cut to the property and we are done for this year....If you have day Lillie's let them die back on their own -
the leaves feed the bulbs same as tulips do in the spring.
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| ellen judd |
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Reply with quote | #3 |
Many thanks to Rosamund for this very detailed and helpful reply. Unfortuantely, I am not in zone 4 or 5--I'm in zone 3 and we have already had snow and below 0 overnight, although we will be 5-8 above 0 in the day for the next week. Can I still prune roses in these conditions? The other perennials I cleared out earlier, or decided to leave--but I was waiting for the last few rose buds...
Ellen
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| Rozmund |
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Reply with quote | #4 |
Hi Ellen: okay, just leave the roses blooms and all - if the ground has been frozen, and the snow is not melting away to create soggy conditions - hill up with either soil, or shredded cedar - some people use straw - but I find it heavy to handle and it will attract mice and voles....the reason I say this is - any pruning now will not have a chance to scab over or close - much like cutting your finger. Leaving the cut exposed can be gambling with optimistic bugs, virus, fungus, etc....If the roses have some rather heavy branches, you could add a bit of support so that the winds and weather will not cause undo pressure - or cracking - be generous with the hilling medium - chicken wire can keep it firmly in place , or vinyl expandable tubing - good luck and do get back to us....especially in the spring.....
I have actually in the spring taken the hilled material away to find lovely deep pink lush branches budding out right into the slush and ice - I did not uncover, because they were so "new" just blessed them on their optimism for life and put back the slush....so rewarding isn't it....these particular roses were miniatures in my rock garden - supposed to be 8" in height, but with all the rain in Ontario this year, they are 18" and magnificent - no fertilizer either - I do
believe they thrive on the lime in the rocks which we imported from Muskoka..
I will be hilling these chappies up after Halloween...we usually do not get any serious snow that stays until mid November.
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| ellen |
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Reply with quote | #5 |
Thank you very much Rosamund. I was cautioud on the weekend and just piled up a lot of soil around the crown of each rose. I'll see what more I can do to add support.
Enjoy your fall and what is surely a lovely garden! Ellen
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