Warm Roses for the Winter With Autumn Leaves
As winter weather approaches, you want to protect delicate plants like volatile roses. Protect roses from the cold with chopped autumn leaves.
Chances are, you already harvest these leaves from your yard, making them easy to use for plant protection. You can chop them with a lawn mower, or the leaf blower can also have a chopping attachment. Here’s how to insulate different types of crushed roses:
- Woody Roses (Standards) : Place four stakes in the ground just behind the root zone of the rose. Wrap the stakes in burlap and secure with string. Add an insulating layer of shredded leaves between the plant and the burlap.
- Rose bushes : Wrap a cardboard, metal or plastic cylinder around the bush. Fill this cylinder with chopped leaves.
- Grafting : Mulch the chopped leaves about a foot above the base of the plant to protect the bud junction and crown of the rose.
- Climbing roses : Cover the trellis with burlap, then fill it with chopped leaves to protect the stems from the winter wind.
By isolating sleeping roses, you protect them from damage that can cause freeze-thaw cycles. To learn more about how to insulate roses, check out the full guide at the link below.
Preparing your garden for winter | The best houses and gardens