Now I Lay Thee Down to Sleep

Photo courtesy of Growquest.com
"Hot Cocoa" Floribunda Rose

It's that time of year here in Edmonton.  The time when gardeners do their last preparations in the garden before winter.  This often involves mulching tender perennials and roses, installing burlap screens around cedars and hydrangeas, raking of leaves and general clean up of garden beds.

If you have hardy roses, ie. Morden series of roses or shrub roses, very little must be done to winterize them.  Water in well, if very tall cut back by 1/3, and mulch if desired.  Tea roses, on the other hand, require more attention to prepare them for old man winter.

How do I overwinter tender roses?  The following advice is provided by Jim Hole of Hole's Greenhouses in St. Albert:

"In our area, tender roses need protection to successfully overwinter. Ideally,

cut them down (to 25–30 cm) and mulch at the same time. This should be

done when the ground is frozen but before it snows, which is usually in late

October. However, given how unpredictable the weather can be, it’s often more

convenient to cut back the roses earlier (about mid October) and then mulch

when the ground freezes. In either case, make sure the roses are well watered

before the ground freezes. Use at least 30 cm of peat moss, and top with soil

to prevent the peat from blowing away (you can also wet the top of the peat

to freeze it in place). During the winter, shovel snow on top of your mulch for

added insulation."

Be sure when screening your cedars and dwarf Alberta spruce that your screen of burlap does not touch your tree.  Rather, it should be a few inches away from the foliage and tall enough to act as a sunscreen against the strong January through March sun.  This also forms a shield against drying winter winds.  It is also advisable to spray the entire evergreen with an anti-dessicant spray such as WiltPruf to the point of runoff.  This spray helps retain the moisure in the needles, thus adding protection against wind and sunscald.  Remember to water before the ground freezes.  Here in Edmonton it is sometimes necessary to water trees, shrubs and evergreens during the winter should we have a dry spell.  We had one winter a few years ago with minimal snowfall and bare ground in January and February.  It was necessary at that point to water to prevent stress to the trees.  The ground wasn't frozen solid, thus moisture was soaked in.  When the ground froze, a block of ice acted as protection against upheaval in the spring thaw/freeze and, as it melted, provided necessary moisture for the plants.