Widespread cooling weather is expected over the next few days. For roses that have been pruned and are starting to sprout, it is recommended that you move your plants indoors at night and out into the sun during the day. Although roses are a hardy plant, new shoots are less hardy. If temperatures drop below freezing, some insulation is recommended to protect the delicate new shoots.
1. Finish pruning
Many flower lovers may not have completed their winter pruning tasks, and even some buds have been kept so far because they can’t be cut. This cooling is a good opportunity to finish pruning roses.
- In southern areas: for example, around Zhejiang and Shanghai, roses will soon be sprouting. If you have not yet done your winter pruning, now is the last chance to get it done.
- Northern regions: The weather is still cold, but temperatures are gradually rising. If you have previously covered your roses with insulation, you should now gradually remove it to allow the plants to gradually acclimatize to the sunlight. Be careful not to remove the covering completely at once, so as not to change the environment too much and cause the plants to fail to adapt. In addition, early spring temperatures fluctuate widely and roses need to be given a slow acclimatization process.
If it is a warm winter climate, many roses may still have buds opening over the winter. Now is a good time to prune and fertilize after the flowers have faded. If you still can’t be bothered to cut back branches with blooms, be sure to move them to a porch or indoor balcony to avoid frost damage to the blooms. During this cooling period, it is especially important to shade them to prevent the buds from opening properly due to frost.
2. Additional pruning
If you have already pruned during the winter but find that the pruning is not sufficient, supplementary pruning can be done in early spring. For example, if you have pruned and retained weak and old branches, it may result in the buds on the old branches growing in preference to the buds on the thicker, newer branches, which are stunted. In this case, old branches that have already sprouted should be pruned off in time so that nutrients can be redistributed to promote rapid expansion and sprouting of new branch buds.
In addition, if some of the new shoots grow too fast, obviously beyond the other buds, should also be pruned off to ensure that the growth of buds more balanced.
3. Fertilizer management
Early spring is a critical period for rose growth, and adequate fertilizer supply is needed after germination. If you have not applied fermented organic fertilizer in winter, you can bury some fermented organic fertilizer before germination. Flower lovers who need to change pots can also replace the more fertile soil at this time.
When the new buds begin to sprout, you can apply a dilute balanced fertilizer of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Pay attention to control the concentration, slightly lower than normal fertilizer concentration, in order to avoid fertilizer damage.
4. Wipe the buds in time
In some warm areas, pruned roses may have begun to germinate. In this case, you should take care to wipe the buds in time, remove the double buds or stunted buds, and concentrate the nutrients to supply the healthy buds to grow. This will allow for larger, more vibrant blooms in the future.
By following these steps, you can better manage your early spring rose care and ensure that your plants grow healthy and strong. We hope you find these tips helpful!