We don’t tend to think of winter as peak gardening time. But there are actually plenty of tasks you should be performing at this time, in order to ensure a healthy and thriving garden this summer. The following six tips will help you rejuvenate your rose garden now, so that you’ll enjoy plenty of beautiful blooms later in the year.
Clear the garden of debris. Clean up any fallen leaves from your rose garden, especially leaves that have dropped off the roses themselves. Fungal diseases can flourish throughout the winter if you leave debris to “feed” them over the winter. Don’t place discarded rose leaves in your compost bin, either; you’ll just contribute to fungal spread throughout your entire garden.
Remove any rose bushes that seemed sickly last year. Bushes that appeared unhealthy might be carrying disease. If your efforts to save them didn’t work out over the summer, remove them now to prevent potential spread of any health problems.
Reduce height of overgrown rose bushes. Overly tall rose bushes can sustain wind damage over the winter. Reduce their height by one third to prevent this.
Apply a dormant spray. If you haven’t already, now is the time to apply a dormant spray on your rose bushes. A spray such as lime sulfur, used in the dormant season, can help ensure that you start off the growing season free of fungal diseases.
Mulch around roses, if you haven’t already. Mound up mulch at the base of rose bushes to help them retain moisture and discourage weeds.
Plan for new additions. New rose varieties are being released now. Check out a catalog or browse local nurseries to make your selections for new plantings. Planting begins in early spring so now is the time to plan!
If you need any help planning your rose garden, give us a call. We can help you decide which varieties work best in your existing landscape, or help you plan a new garden installation.
