Re: Re: Planting 1st year roses in the cold zones...

**"Patricia R. Wenham" prw@televar.com>**

> Can you or others comment on planting 1st year roses in the fall? 

Hi Joanie,

Lee Sherman, New Mexico, who grows more roses than I will ever see and
does it better than I ever will, plants her roses in 5 gallon containers
for the first season.  That seems like a good plan because they could be
protected through the winter with leaves, branches etc. Another friend
in Ketchikan raises roses and his are mostly floribundas and Hybrid Teas
and he has almost no loss.  He plants his in pails & buckets.  He
protects them with evergreen branches and whatever else he can find for
mulch.  He also uses perlite on top of the soil to keep from burning
surface roots and to preserve moisture. I have some small roses that I
plan to mulch with sand and hope for the best.  This is my first year in
this location so I do not know what will happen here but I firmly
believe that the heaving from frost and thaw conditions is the major
reason most plants die in winter.  The sand will tend to hold them down
without contributing to an over abundance of moisture around the crown
of the plant.  

My Master Gardener training seemed to focus on both of the above reasons
for problems in winter and I have found it to be true.  

I hope this helps.  I am sure there are others who have good advice and
the experience necessary to test it and know it works.

Patti

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