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How to properly cover roses for the winter and feed them with potassium permanganate: flower growers reveal secrets
04.11.2023 01:20
In order for roses to delight us with their bloom next year, they need to be provided with a good wintering.
Why do you need to cover roses for the winter?
Roses need to be covered for the winter because they do not tolerate low temperatures very well and can die from frost.
Covering protects roses from cold, wind, snow, and rodents that can damage roots and stems. Covering also helps roses retain moisture and nutrients in the soil.
How to choose a material for covering roses for the winter
The material for covering roses for the winter should be breathable, light and warm. It is not recommended to use film, polyethylene or other sealed materials, as they can cause moisture condensation and rotting of roses.
It is better to choose straw, sawdust, leaves, peat or special agrofibre. The material should fit well to the soil and bush, but not squeeze it.
How and when to cover roses for the winter
Cover roses in late October - early November, when the roses have finished flowering and shed their leaves.
Before covering, you need to prune the roses, removing all diseased, weak and damaged shoots.
The cut shoots should be burned or thrown away to avoid spreading the disease. The length of the shoots should be about 30-40 cm. Then you need to raise the soil around the bush to a height of 15-20 cm, forming a mound.
After this, you need to cover the bush with covering material, leaving the tops of the shoots open. The tops of the shoots can be tied together or bent to the ground. Finally, you need to secure the covering material with stakes or stones so that it does not blow away in the wind.
How to feed roses with potassium permanganate
Fertilizing roses with potassium permanganate before covering improves their winter hardiness and resistance to diseases.
Potassium permanganate helps roses accumulate special sugars in their stems, which protect them from frost. Potassium permanganate also makes the stems more elastic, making it easier to bend them to the ground.
However, simply watering roses with a solution of potassium permanganate is not enough, since manganese is not absorbed by roses and accumulates in the soil, which can harm them in the future.
It is necessary to make sure that manganese penetrates the roses better and does not remain in the soil. To do this, you need to prepare a special solution of potassium permanganate, vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. Here's how to do it.
• Dilute 10 grams of potassium permanganate in 1.5 liters of water.
• Add 500 ml of 9% vinegar.
• Gradually add hydrogen peroxide 50 ml at a time until the solution becomes clear. This will require about 200 ml of hydrogen peroxide.
• Pour the solution into a 10-liter bucket and add water to the brim.
• Water the roses with this solution, 500 ml per bush. For large bushes, you can use 1 liter of solution per bush.
• After watering, water the roses generously with clean water to wash away excess manganese from the soil.
Fertilizing with potassium permanganate is carried out 2-3 weeks before covering roses for the winter. This method is also suitable for other flowers that do not tolerate winter well.
