We have been blessed by an unusually lovely fall in the northern Great Plains. Unfortunately, the long-range weather forecast promises that all good things must come to an end. Before winter is upon us, gardeners should consider protecting tender roses. Most hybrid tea, floribunda and grandiflora roses were bred for warmer climates and cannot survive northern winters without protection.
Resourceful gardeners have devised many methods to protect tender roses. Regardless of the method, timing is important. Gardeners need to wait until the rose is completely dormant after several hard freezes. Considering that dead rose leaves can harbor spores that can cause next year’s fungal diseases, cleaning up plant debris is also important.
The styrofoam cone method used to be the most popular but has fallen out of favor for many reasons. The cone traps moisture that can lead to rotting. Research also shows that cones can heat up on sunny winter days and cause the plant to come out of dormancy. This can lead to winter damage or outright plant death. Styrofoam cones are an eyesore in the landscape and they can blow across the neighborhood if not adequately secured against winter winds.
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Other winter protection methods are better because they insulate the plant and minimize temperature variability. Essentially, we want the plants to avoid freeze and thaw cycles. One method is to pile a well-drained media such as compost to a depth of 10 to 12 inches over the base of the rose. After the compost has firmly frozen, another foot of leaves or straw can be added to the pile and retained by creating a chicken wire cage. To protect against rotting, a fungicide should be sprayed on the canes prior to burial…