|
|
|
| From Spokesman Review Article 10/31/08 by Susan Mulvhill |
| |
Here are a few of the tips described in the above article regarding how the roses in Manito Park are cared for in the Fall, and how to get them ready for the winter. The entire article can be found in the Spokesman Review Today Section of 10/31/08, or online at spokesman-review.com.
Steve Smith knows a thing or two about roses. As lead gardner of Rose Hill at Manito Park, he and his crew care for more than 1500 roses.
Steve defines the following steps to care for your roses and get them ready for the winter:
1. Apply a high-potassium fertilizer immediately. This gives the plants more strength and hardiness to survive the winter.
2. Light pruning is recommended. Don't cut back the canes to a "stub" as we used to do, but just prune back about half of each cane.
3. Scrape some of the surrounding soil up onto the crown of the plant to a depth of about 6-8 inches. Be careful not to expose the tender roots during this process.
4. Compost around the crown mound you've just created is good, but it's not necessary to completely cover the plant. Manito Park uses pine needles for this purpose, as they are free and do not blow about in the wind, yet maintain a warm cover for the crown during the winter months.
5. Water, water, water. Mr. Smith reminds us that roses are "water hogs" and we should continue to water them up until the last minute. "Don't let them go into the winter dehydrated", says Mr. Smith.
6. Keep these mounds around your plants until the temperature consistentently stays above 20 degrees, then it is safe to remove the soil mound.
Again, please refer to the Spokesman Review article for more additional detail and information.
|
| |
| Staff Writer |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| Get the latest park news and conditions at the ManitoPark.org News page. |
| |
|
|
| Looking for answers to questions about ManitoPark.org? Look no further... |
| |
|
|
| Local Photographers share their skills with the Manito Park community. |
| |
|
|
More Info