You explain things in such an understandable manner, you should be a teacher. I mean, you already ARE a teacher for all of your followers.. Thank you for your videos. You not only explain things very well, you get to the point without any BS. SO refreshing!
Okay, you have convinced me to bring my roses into the garage. I'm in zone 6, bought 5 roses earlier this year, all rated to zone 4 and planted them all in 22" containers. They have grown beautifully, with new leaves from top to bottom and one with buds . Since they are mere toddler roses I will baby them a bit but once they are adults I will likely leave them out . Thank you for a great video and I am now going to go clear out my garage. 😄
Nice. One suggestion: let the roses take a little cold in the landscape first. A few light freezes won't harm them, and it helps to tip them into dormancy. I usually wait as long as I can before the forecast shows a deep cold on the way, then strip the roses down and tuck them into the garage.
This is perfect for what I was wondering about. ...was worried putting containers in garage or basement over winter w lack of light. But now that's where they're going this coming winter. Perfect timing! Thank you again :)
What a great and so appropriate topic this time of year.👌 While the Winter Solstice (official start of winter) is December 21 this year, most of the leaves have fallen or are falling now, as well as frost and surface freezing puddles for most of North America above the US border states and Canada. Of course the coastline areas won't see those colder temps until later on as well. I will add a few suggestions, but some (except the warmer locations) of these suggestions are really for in the spring because the plants are already preparing for winter and disturbing them now is definitely not recommended. Plants that do not like wet ground should be on a hillside of some sort, it can be the upper side of a ditch or part of the natural landscape where water can drain away from the area. For those who have mostly flat ground, mounding up soil and raising plants to a higher ground plane for root systems to have space above the wetter soil will be a big help. If resources are available, try to use gravel at the base and mound up with a more porous soil mixture for better drainage as well. Those in drier climates will want a soil mixture more appropriate for your plants that will hold on to some of that moisture and help store up that extra energy. Areas with more windy conditions, shade cloth or other wind protection on the prevailing wind side of plants will help tremendously in keeping precious moisture and energy in the plants when you are not able to move them from their location. For those like myself who have too many plants in pots to move inside, pull all of your pots into one area, place the more vulnerable plants in the center and surround them with the healthier hardier plants having the hardiest and biggest ones around the outside. This method will provide a good deal of shielding and temperature control, if you expect wind like I do, the shade cloth tip can be added to the windy side of the group to provide that additional protection. There are many kinds of methods to help prepare for winter and different regions have different conditions to prepare for, but hopefully some of these ideas will help find solutions for healthier happier plants through the winter months.🤙
Thanks for the suggestions. I like the "penguin" method (for lack of a better description) of bunching pots together for protection. I'm also glad you mentioned using natural slopes in the landscape to provide proper drainage.
@@FraserValleyRoseFarm The "penguin" method is a very good description because that is exactly the idea.👌 The natural landscape can actually tell us where the best place is for certain plants by seeing what naturally grows there, unless you are like me and trying to grow things not natural to the area. Understanding the plants we want to grow and what they need to be strong and healthy in their natural surroundings will provide the most enjoyment and least amount of effort keeping them healthy. I think the natural landscape should be the first consideration when deciding what plants to put in that space. We have discussed this before, but knowing how the sun travels across the space, what direction the wind blows, where moisture tends to gather and where the soil is more dry are important details for winter preparation just like where they are going to be best enjoyed during the summer.😉🤙
In zone 5b every few years the winter temps do drop below -10, sometimes for a few days. The zone temp guide is an Average! I considered just swithing to roses rated for 4 or 3 except they tend to not be fragrant. And to me That is what a rose is about! So I will try your support systems for the roses here.
Thanks for the video, great info! I have a 10 year old acer that died back to the ground after last winter. I know I should cut it down and replace it but I just haven’t had the heart to do it. And now it has resprouted from the base. I’ve been thinking all summer about what got it over the winter. We’re further west from you in zone 9 so we got that same cold outflow too. I’m now suspecting it suffered a bit from all of what you mentioned. Wet, cold, wind, and some neglect.
Very helpful Jason 😁. Just now got around to this video and something I have used as an example for people is i explain that when a plant has too much moisture available when its not actually growing the cells of the plants can freeze quicker and burst than if its a little on the dry side the sugars in plants are concentrated keeping it somewhat above the freezing temperatures but not totally. Which is why most conifers are able to withstand colder temps than other plants because of the sap is concentrated and therefore doesn't freeze as quickly. This is my opinions and dont necessarily follow what others will say . Loved this video and had to tell you that i ask my plants if they will survive the winter and they say maybe 🤣 lol. Sometimes its a guess . Joking of course hope you can laugh at me. Your the greatest. 😁
Thanks, Jason. I was excited when I moved to a warmer zone in New England 7a. It took years for me to get it into my head that I needed to factor in being surrounded by water but also strong winds winter and summer. The temps are higher in winter and we get little snow but those winds really affect my growing season and boy do I protect everything in the winter!
We don't get anything approaching freezing here at all, so sadly, if something in the garden dies it is 100% my fault every single time. My failure to notice things before it's too late to rectify. Nice video as usual bud.
As well as 7 garden beds I have over 300 potted plants of ages 1 to 9 years of age since taking cuttings or divisions of tubers etc from my beds. I repot every 2nd yr as I get hold of larger pots & buy soil, compost etc. For winter I lay them on their sides, larger pots in bottom, smaller ontop of the larger pots, up to 4 layers in a circle. Then I put kiddie pools over top, then thick plastic that sailboats etc get wrapped in. Small pots are stacked the same way into my extra green bins since I only need 1 to get me thru winter when less trimming etc is done. On really mild days I sometimes let the sunshine in. The pots which are so large that I can only slide them, not lift them, they get pulled in close to the foundation of my house or beneath my large evergreens, then I spend days in the woods thinning out evergreen seedlings (up to 4 feet heights approx. at most) & I cover all of the pots with those, then decorate with unbreakable ornaments, tinsel etc. I cut larger dense branches for some of the garden beds, the neighbour's yellow roses against her back wall & to make wreaths. I need the physical excersize & my investment in plants is protected thru my efforts.
In summer the kiddie pools, in 3 sizes to 5 feet across for the largest they hold the larger plants so that God can water them. Those many large plants would use up my rain barrel water too quickly & lots of lugging to meet their needs. This way they look tidy, pretty & low effort. If it has been too wet too long I lift out a few, bale the now nutrient full water into buckets to use on plants sitting on ground, on patios, on steps etc. Sure saves my well! When I am hardening off trays of new plants, those trays are easy to line up in a pool under a large evergreen tree, less rain ends up in the pool & that plastic gets warm beneath the roots, where we need the heat for optimum growth without damage to the environment by using dirty electricity for heat.
Just as important is resistance to heat in the summer. No matter what you do to protect the plants, short of bringing them into a protected area, there is little you can do to mitigate this. Speaking from south Texas, where we had one of the hottest summers on record. The roses suffered, and even some of the mandevillas died. I understand that you’ve been having hot summers in the lower mainland as well. So the whole “hardiness zone” thing is of course a bit more complicated than that, as I’m sure you know.
Thanks Declan. The USDA cold-hardiness zones don't do a lot to help gardeners answer questions about heat tolerance. There's a separate system (AHS) plant heat zones for that.
@@FraserValleyRoseFarm It’s too bad that most vendors (or even online resources) rarely mention the heat zone rating of any particular plant. This needs to change. And it’s gotten a lot more important as our environment continues to warm, often radically.
Good garden centres in hotter regions will retail roses suited to that climate. Some of the African varieties are bred to withstand/thrive in heat. My climate matched miniatures do quite quite well noting that they need daily watering and slow release fert over summer.
Thanks for the timely reminder of what to watch for when considering plants that may or may not make it through the winter outside! I am planning to try overwintering some dahlia tubers in the ground this year (central Ohio, zone 6A), since I’ve had various dahlias come back every year from spots in my garden that I missed pulling some tubers up .
Great advice!! In Z3 , my lesson learned is to grade the soil to prevent water from pooling and freezing near the rose; its hard on the plant, and all that buildup of ice resulted in a late thaw/start in the spring. I used wood bark as mulch; but by March it was all a big cohesive frozen block . Wood bark is a great insulator to keep the cold in the ground ! So based on my mistakes last year: better drainage, different mulch!
Thanks for sharing your experience. I do love mulch but it bears thinking about: if it'll shade the soil in the heat of summer, that's no so bad - but first thing in spring? I'm sure it slows my start a bit.
I often lose a fruitful year on fruit trees because of an early warmup and blossoming. I may try a broad deep bark mulch to try to preserve a lower soil temp for a longer time and see if that helps delay blossoming. Some folks here recommend planting fruit trees on the north slope of a hill, perhaps for the same reason. I Wish the university agriculture programs would focus on developing later fruit tree bloom times! The trouble is some years that would have to be two Months later!
In zone 4b we take generally take the following steps to keep roses alive through winter: 1) plant roses 6-8cm deeper than they were in pot, so that grafting spot is well guarded. 2) when nights start to become so cold that ground upper layer start to freeze, add 20-30cm layer of dry compost or special peat mix (very rough facture which does not soak water easily). 3) cover with spruce or pine branches, it guards from extra water, wind and also keeps compost in place. Other option is to cover with frost blanket (2x layer of 50g/m2 or 1x layer of 100g/m2), frost blanket must be put over a carcass, not directly over branches of rose. All except ramblers/ climbing roses we cut down to 30-50cm. If you use frost blanket, do not add that much compost over the roots though.
Another factor in your category of "is the plant strong going into winter" regards perennials that are at their range of cold tolerance - say a zone 7b plant in zone 7b. Some of those perennials, especially heat lovers, seem to benefit from being planted fairly early in the growing season in order to become well established before winter. We do right much fall planting here in Central Virginia, but some plants are better planted in spring. There are also plants that are rated for a higher zone, in my case, zone 8, that can go over a winter reasonably well if well established, and perhaps protected a bit over the first winter.
Thanks for this advice Jason! I know I lost my Buddelia last year due to the cold winds! I'm in zone 6 (Southern Ontario) and it was hardy to zone 5 but I didn't protect them enough. I had mulch around but it wasn't good enough for them. I'd actually put in order for some burlap last week to wrap my more sensitive shrubs and hopefully keep the rabbits away as well!
Hi Jason, I have watched many of your videos and want to say thank you for the great advice! I have three Don Juan roses that I planted this year, in the spring. I am in Maine, Plant Hardiness Zone 5, with great sandy soil. My question is this: when protecting climbing roses for the winter How much pruning should I do. The roses grew about six feet over the growing season. Also, I need to protect them from mice and moles so wire mesh and dry leaves won't be enough to get the roses through the winter. Have you done a video on this topic? If not is there any advice you can offer?
Thanks David. In my milder climate I hold off major pruning until spring, but if it makes it more convenient for winter protection, you could take them down to 2 or 3 ft in the fall. I've seen quite a few methods from other growers, but they're all basically some combination of hilling up soil, and tenting/caging/bagging some insulative material (leaves, shredded paper, evergreen boughs) over at least the crown and then some length of the canes.
I use the USDA zone system whenever I'm talking about my zones, only because the USDA has zone maps for just about every country, so it's easy to compare zones with other people, but, I think you should take another look at our zone system Jason, it is much more intricate and accurate in the USDA system.
Here in the Netherlands it is not the cold or wind, it is the amount of rain that kills plants. I already put all of my rooted cuttings in my cold frame a couple of weeks ago. And this week I will put some established plants in containers inside. We have not yet had a lot of days with temperatures below 10C at night, but have had more than enough rain to kill a lot of plants. The soil needs to be very well draining over here.
Thanks Bart. That makes a lot of sense - as the days get shorter & cooler, there'll be less evaporation & transpiration, so there'll definitely be excess moisture to look out for
Hi Jason, my question is about young perennials--- say smaller seedlings that are about 6 months old. This is my first year as small native plant nursery and learning on the fly (faster since finding your UA-cam channel this past February!) Anyhoo.. I'm in Zone 5 but east of Lake Ontario where we get heavy snow fall from the lake.. sometimes feet of it in a day or two. I was putting the young plants into the ground in beds close together & plan on mulching them heavy with 6-8 of leaves and straw (they are all native plants). I still have several hundred to go though, some in 4" containers and others in plug trays.. about 75% of them have really nice roots. I'm wondering if there is a better way to get them thru winter than planting them out. (A hoop or greenhouse isn't in my budget yet sadly!) Thanks so much for the tip on putting containers near the house-- you saved 50+ large plants from certain death!! I thought the spot I was going to put them TODAY was perfect (an L shaped corner protected by wind with southern exposure).. BUT after watching your video I realized the spot is directly over the eves of a LARGE roof and a corner of the roof line that gets TONS of water!!
Wow, good save! As for your young perennials, I wonder if it might make sense to split the risk a bit and keep a smaller portion of each variety potted through the winter in a sheltered location once they go dormant. Again, I'm not so much talking about inside the house (too warm) but if you have room for a few trays in a carport, garage, or shed. Your mulched in-ground beds sound like a good solution for native plants, but I'm just thinking of the old saying about "putting all your eggs in one basket"
@@FraserValleyRoseFarm thanks so much! I debated & researched putting everyone inside in pots but never found a straight answer until I saw your video post this morning! I was concerned about their need for water and of course mice.. we have an 200+ year old barn and a garage so should have LOTS of room and the bonus of cats to guard against mice. I've really panicked about overwintering after my nursery inspector and adviser told me to brace myself for a 30-50% die off! I've put so much work into growing these from seed there is no way I'm letting them go without a fight 🤪 Think I'll go 50-50, do you think planting them together say 3 seedlings to a 1-2 gallon pot would help them overwinter?
Thanks for another useful video Jason. I'm wondering if you can help. I'm in northern England I think around the rough equivalent of US zone 8 - 9? and our location is usually perfect for planting Autumn bulbs now to come in Spring. And I have planted my bulbs a couple of weeks ago. But we are apparently having the warmest Autumn on record, and my bulbs have all started sprouting now. Daffodils, snowdrops, Iris, muscari and I think tulips as well. We're having very mild days of around 8 - 16 c. When it usually feels winterry now in November. Is this going to be an issue for the bulbs sprouting early? as it is probably going to actually get cold in a week or 2. Other wild plants are coming out now as well that I usually only see in Spring. It's interesting. Cheers. Carl.
Thanks Carl. It could be a concern if they get too far ahead, but keep in mind that most of these bulbs (tulips, daffs) are quite hardy themselves - and I've seen them take unseasonable spring cold and power through to a good flowering anyway. At this point this little you can do outside of maybe shading them and waiting for cooler weather.
Great info thank you. Explains why two roses that usually do well in pots had a hard time last winter as they are now on a balcony that gets wind. When do roses in pots go dormant enough to move into a garage?
I wait as long as I can before bringing them in - most roses will take freezing or a little lower with no risk of damage. If they take a few frosts, you'll see the leaves turning brown or dropping, and it's a good sing that the rose is tipping into dormancy. You can then strip the remaining foliage and do a light trim if you'd like (of damaged, diseased or thin inward growth) as you bring them in.
You have to be careful saying that if you are in zone x and you have a plant that is hardy to zone x you have a win. In the zone I am in the green industry is telling people to pick a zone colder plant to expect it to come back. I have found this to be accurate for here.
Thanks Brandon, good point. Sometimes local growers/landscapers & gardeners will have factored in some of the limitations (windy area, lack of snow cover, winter wet, or even just a microclimate that isn't accurately represented on the map) and will build in an extra buffer to the stated zones. At this point in the video, I was more in the mode of describing how the hardiness zones are "supposed to" work, so I didn't put in a lot of qualifying language - but there's no lack of reasons why you'd want to take those recommendations with a grain of salt!
I’m in zone 5b and just finished a polycarbonate greenhouse. I want to put my potted roses in but it is not heated and I have been fighting black spot. Should I remove leaves before I put them in? Should I water over the winter? How much? Thanks for any advice!!! PS - I live your channel - so helpful to a newbie❤
Such a great source of info, thank you so much! I have one question, when do I know it is time to bring potted plants into the garage? The first freeze of the season? I purchased a lot of potted plants on clearance from the store but I have not fully planned my garden and won't until spring. So I am overwintering!
Most of your plants can take a freeze or two without damage, and it helps them to "shut down" if they take a little cold before going in. I like to leave it as late as I can and then strip them down and bring them in before any deep cold in the forecast.
Great video! I would like to plant roses in my unheated tunnel, but it can be pretty wet in spring in there. How would you remedy that to minimize wet feet? Build it up with topsoil and compost? Raised beds?
It's pretty wet here too and a heavy soil, but I'd only consider changes if there's truly a drainage problem (standing water on the surface or collecting in the holes when you dig a bit). Raised beds can do the job, as the majority of rose roots are in the top 8 inches. You could also aim to address the larger problem of standing water with drainage improvements.
Thank you Jason! Aren’t there some plants rated for colder zones that actually need the lower temperatures to thrive and do well? So that growing them in a warmer zone might result in a plant that is alive after a winter but not thriving?
Thanks Linda. Good point. Gardeners may look at these zone ratings systems for at least 2 very different questions about temperature: 1) what is the lowest temp my plant will survive (the topic of this video), 2) what is the chill requirement of my plant to perform well (your question).The USDA zone maps are not perfect by any means, but they do a pretty good job of approximating for question #1. Some gardening guides will also give a range, like "Zones 2-7" with the upper zone trying to answer question #2, but it's far less well suited for this purpose - the question the USDA is answering when they define the zones doesn't have to do with "days below a certain required chill temperature" but only "what's the minimum low this area is expected to reach on an average year". One zone 7 region may stay warm most of the winter, but just dip down to the low 2 or 3 times - and another zone 7 could stay at or near the minimums all season. If you do follow the "upper zone" advice offered by some publications, I'd say take it with a grain of salt - and even better to treat it as a separate question entirely based on the chill requirements of the plant.
Excellent. Thank you. Question, I have a 10x10 root cellar with one window. Can I stick my potted Japanese maples in there? It’s my first time dealing with Japanese maples in a pot. Good info here.
That sounds like a pretty good spot for shelter. Depending on your climate, I'd usually try to wait until it's had a few frosts and the foliage is dropping - and then strip the remainder and tuck it in just before a deeper cold is forecast.
@@FraserValleyRoseFarm Ah, didn’t even think of them getting a few frosts first. That makes sense. Thank you. We’re having warnings for frost and 20 degrees already in ne Oklahoma. Roses are easier I told a friend 😉
Great information! What about overwintering potted boxwood in an unheated basement entrance that doesn't go below freezing but has zero light (no windows)?
Years ago, I was reading a book about perennials and assumed since I lived in a place two or three zones warmer than the author, that surely I too could grow all the things he listed. HA! Snow cover makes a ton of difference. This author was used to having his entire garden below at least a 2 foot layer of snow continuously for the entire winter. I live where snow is come and go. The plants are subjected over and over to freeze thaw, freeze thaw. I think that is the other most common reason for winter kill.
Thanks J.C. - no doubt! Reliable snow cover and (relatively) stable temperatures are both a huge advantage in overwintering plants. I don't think there's any way to map all the factors accurately for gardeners, so it eventually (as always) comes down to local experience.
As I live in the south of the UK it seems that it is roughly zone 9. As I am moving house next year I have some roses in containers and some in the ground. Up to now I have been deadheading all have flowers and buds. Should I stop deadheading so that the plants can settle down for the winter.? Plus if I want to take the roses in the ground with me when I move next summer should I replant them in containers while they are dormant? Thanks for all your videos. ☺
Hi Pauline. Yes, I'm in a similar climate and I've stopped deadheading and fertilizing just to let them rest a bit. It's a tough call about the best time to dig up your roses from the ground and get them into containers - but you have a mild enough climate that you can probably get away with a) now, b) in early spring just before they resume growth or c) just before the move. I suspect b) & c) could be busier times for you, so tackling them now might not be a bad idea.
You mentioned plant stored energy helped is winter survival. Where is the energy stored; roots only or in both roots and stems. Will pruning stems in fall reduce this stored energy or help in winter because of reduced load on energy when stems are pruned in fall.
Hi Amy - yes, I think it's just about ideal. Once dormant, neither one uses much water - but just check on them every now and again to make sure they're not bone dry.
If you have time for the extra work, stripping down the leaves from nearly-dormant roses can help in a couple of ways: one is to prevent desiccation, the other is that you remove diseased leaf tissue that may carry over (whether clinging to the stems or dropped to the base of the plant) that could reinfect the fresh leaves in spring. A spray with lime-sulfur and dormant oil when fully dormant also helps to smother remaining spores on the stems.
...after watching this, I'm convinced I just killed all my plants...(Yesterday I cut down all my salvias, but they'd had no prior maintenance for the past two years and we've had a really bad drought so I think they struggled.)
No, they don't feel, but a cold but it does hasten any temperature losses - plus air hold much less moisture than warm air, and so it directly damages the tissues through desiccation.
You explain things in such an understandable manner, you should be a teacher. I mean, you already ARE a teacher for all of your followers..
Thank you for your videos. You not only explain things very well, you get to the point without any BS. SO refreshing!
Thanks so much for the feedback Penny!
I feel better equipped to protect a variety of plants next year based on this video. Thank you!
Thank you Jason. Ever since I subscribed to your channel, I have learned so much from your interesting and educational videos.
Thanks so much Christie - that's so nice to hear!
Okay, you have convinced me to bring my roses into the garage. I'm in zone 6, bought 5 roses earlier this year, all rated to zone 4 and planted them all in 22" containers. They have grown beautifully, with new leaves from top to bottom and one with buds . Since they are mere toddler roses I will baby them a bit but once they are adults I will likely leave them out . Thank you for a great video and I am now going to go clear out my garage. 😄
Nice. One suggestion: let the roses take a little cold in the landscape first. A few light freezes won't harm them, and it helps to tip them into dormancy. I usually wait as long as I can before the forecast shows a deep cold on the way, then strip the roses down and tuck them into the garage.
@@FraserValleyRoseFarm Will do. That gives me some time to clear out my garage.,🥂 Cheers!
This is perfect for what I was wondering about. ...was worried putting containers in garage or basement over winter w lack of light. But now that's where they're going this coming winter. Perfect timing! Thank you again :)
Hello! I agree with you, the cold does not always kill the plant. Thank you for your interesting suggestions. Good luck to you👍🌻💙
Excellent content, as always! Thanks for the work you're doing!
My pleasure. Thanks for watching Mike.
Thanks for this information. So many people make videos about what you can plant, but do not address the winter issues.
What a great and so appropriate topic this time of year.👌
While the Winter Solstice (official start of winter) is December 21 this year, most of the leaves have fallen or are falling now, as well as frost and surface freezing puddles for most of North America above the US border states and Canada.
Of course the coastline areas won't see those colder temps until later on as well.
I will add a few suggestions, but some (except the warmer locations) of these suggestions are really for in the spring because the plants are already preparing for winter and disturbing them now is definitely not recommended.
Plants that do not like wet ground should be on a hillside of some sort, it can be the upper side of a ditch or part of the natural landscape where water can drain away from the area. For those who have mostly flat ground, mounding up soil and raising plants to a higher ground plane for root systems to have space above the wetter soil will be a big help. If resources are available, try to use gravel at the base and mound up with a more porous soil mixture for better drainage as well.
Those in drier climates will want a soil mixture more appropriate for your plants that will hold on to some of that moisture and help store up that extra energy.
Areas with more windy conditions, shade cloth or other wind protection on the prevailing wind side of plants will help tremendously in keeping precious moisture and energy in the plants when you are not able to move them from their location.
For those like myself who have too many plants in pots to move inside, pull all of your pots into one area, place the more vulnerable plants in the center and surround them with the healthier hardier plants having the hardiest and biggest ones around the outside. This method will provide a good deal of shielding and temperature control, if you expect wind like I do, the shade cloth tip can be added to the windy side of the group to provide that additional protection.
There are many kinds of methods to help prepare for winter and different regions have different conditions to prepare for, but hopefully some of these ideas will help find solutions for healthier happier plants through the winter months.🤙
Thanks for the suggestions. I like the "penguin" method (for lack of a better description) of bunching pots together for protection. I'm also glad you mentioned using natural slopes in the landscape to provide proper drainage.
@@FraserValleyRoseFarm The "penguin" method is a very good description because that is exactly the idea.👌
The natural landscape can actually tell us where the best place is for certain plants by seeing what naturally grows there, unless you are like me and trying to grow things not natural to the area. Understanding the plants we want to grow and what they need to be strong and healthy in their natural surroundings will provide the most enjoyment and least amount of effort keeping them healthy.
I think the natural landscape should be the first consideration when deciding what plants to put in that space. We have discussed this before, but knowing how the sun travels across the space, what direction the wind blows, where moisture tends to gather and where the soil is more dry are important details for winter preparation just like where they are going to be best enjoyed during the summer.😉🤙
In zone 5b every few years the winter temps do drop below -10, sometimes for a few days. The zone temp guide is an Average! I considered just swithing to roses rated for 4 or 3 except they tend to not be fragrant. And to me That is what a rose is about! So I will try your support systems for the roses here.
Thanks Kathleen. It's definitely a good idea to take those average low temps with a grain of salt!
Thanks for the video, great info!
I have a 10 year old acer that died back to the ground after last winter. I know I should cut it down and replace it but I just haven’t had the heart to do it. And now it has resprouted from the base. I’ve been thinking all summer about what got it over the winter. We’re further west from you in zone 9 so we got that same cold outflow too. I’m now suspecting it suffered a bit from all of what you mentioned. Wet, cold, wind, and some neglect.
Very helpful Jason 😁. Just now got around to this video and something I have used as an example for people is i explain that when a plant has too much moisture available when its not actually growing the cells of the plants can freeze quicker and burst than if its a little on the dry side the sugars in plants are concentrated keeping it somewhat above the freezing temperatures but not totally. Which is why most conifers are able to withstand colder temps than other plants because of the sap is concentrated and therefore doesn't freeze as quickly. This is my opinions and dont necessarily follow what others will say . Loved this video and had to tell you that i ask my plants if they will survive the winter and they say maybe 🤣 lol. Sometimes its a guess . Joking of course hope you can laugh at me. Your the greatest. 😁
Good Jason, green house is very good for overwintering of all plants but in summer, roses always grow well and nice.
Thanks, Jason. I was excited when I moved to a warmer zone in New England 7a. It took years for me to get it into my head that I needed to factor in being surrounded by water but also strong winds winter and summer. The temps are higher in winter and we get little snow but those winds really affect my growing season and boy do I protect everything in the winter!
Thanks Helen. It sure pays to learn the weather patterns in your area & know the threats.
Excellent as usual, keep it coming!
Great video's. Thanks for all your generous teachings. 😊
Always great information from you. It was 42 this morning and I'm beginning to worry about which plants will survive (zone 9b, so cal)
fantastic video with lots of good reminders and potentially new information
Great info, beautiful garden, and so inspirational. Thank you thank you ☺️🐣
Thank you so much from a very non-green thumb! Learning a great deal. I live in the Texas Panhandle and we can get ice storms and lots of wind.
We don't get anything approaching freezing here at all, so sadly, if something in the garden dies it is 100% my fault every single time. My failure to notice things before it's too late to rectify. Nice video as usual bud.
You have the best info that I’ve come across, thanks!
Thanks!
As well as 7 garden beds I have over 300 potted plants of ages 1 to 9 years of age since taking cuttings or divisions of tubers etc from my beds. I repot every 2nd yr as I get hold of larger pots & buy soil, compost etc. For winter I lay them on their sides, larger pots in bottom, smaller ontop of the larger pots, up to 4 layers in a circle. Then I put kiddie pools over top, then thick plastic that sailboats etc get wrapped in. Small pots are stacked the same way into my extra green bins since I only need 1 to get me thru winter when less trimming etc is done. On really mild days I sometimes let the sunshine in. The pots which are so large that I can only slide them, not lift them, they get pulled in close to the foundation of my house or beneath my large evergreens, then I spend days in the woods thinning out evergreen seedlings (up to 4 feet heights approx. at most) & I cover all of the pots with those, then decorate with unbreakable ornaments, tinsel etc. I cut larger dense branches for some of the garden beds, the neighbour's yellow roses against her back wall & to make wreaths. I need the physical excersize & my investment in plants is protected thru my efforts.
In summer the kiddie pools, in 3 sizes to 5 feet across for the largest they hold the larger plants so that God can water them. Those many large plants would use up my rain barrel water too quickly & lots of lugging to meet their needs. This way they look tidy, pretty & low effort. If it has been too wet too long I lift out a few, bale the now nutrient full water into buckets to use on plants sitting on ground, on patios, on steps etc. Sure saves my well! When I am hardening off trays of new plants, those trays are easy to line up in a pool under a large evergreen tree, less rain ends up in the pool & that plastic gets warm beneath the roots, where we need the heat for optimum growth without damage to the environment by using dirty electricity for heat.
Great video as always! Thanks for the tips!🤗🤗💜
My pleasure Cami. Thanks for watching.
@@FraserValleyRoseFarm 🤗
Nicely presented. Thanks.
Thank you for the great information.
Just as important is resistance to heat in the summer. No matter what you do to protect the plants, short of bringing them into a protected area, there is little you can do to mitigate this. Speaking from south Texas, where we had one of the hottest summers on record. The roses suffered, and even some of the mandevillas died. I understand that you’ve been having hot summers in the lower mainland as well.
So the whole “hardiness zone” thing is of course a bit more complicated than that, as I’m sure you know.
But it's not more complicated than that - USDA zones are only for cold hardiness, nothing more.
Thanks Declan. The USDA cold-hardiness zones don't do a lot to help gardeners answer questions about heat tolerance. There's a separate system (AHS) plant heat zones for that.
@@FraserValleyRoseFarm It’s too bad that most vendors (or even online resources) rarely mention the heat zone rating of any particular plant. This needs to change.
And it’s gotten a lot more important as our environment continues to warm, often radically.
Good garden centres in hotter regions will retail roses suited to that climate. Some of the African varieties are bred to withstand/thrive in heat. My climate matched miniatures do quite quite well noting that they need daily watering and slow release fert over summer.
Great job Jason!!!!
Thanks for the timely reminder of what to watch for when considering plants that may or may not make it through the winter outside! I am planning to try overwintering some dahlia tubers in the ground this year (central Ohio, zone 6A), since I’ve had various dahlias come back every year from spots in my garden that I missed pulling some tubers up .
Thanks - I thought the no-dig video on dahlias was great. I hope it works out well for you!
Thank you Jason, very interesting facts. 🍁🍂🍁💚🙃
Great advice!! In Z3 , my lesson learned is to grade the soil to prevent water from pooling and freezing near the rose; its hard on the plant, and all that buildup of ice resulted in a late thaw/start in the spring. I used wood bark as mulch; but by March it was all a big cohesive frozen block . Wood bark is a great insulator to keep the cold in the ground ! So based on my mistakes last year: better drainage, different mulch!
Thanks for sharing your experience. I do love mulch but it bears thinking about: if it'll shade the soil in the heat of summer, that's no so bad - but first thing in spring? I'm sure it slows my start a bit.
I often lose a fruitful year on fruit trees because of an early warmup and blossoming. I may try a broad deep bark mulch to try to preserve a
lower soil temp for a longer time and see if that helps delay blossoming. Some folks here recommend planting fruit trees on the north slope of a hill, perhaps for the same reason. I Wish the university agriculture programs would focus on developing later fruit tree bloom times! The trouble is some years that would have to be two Months later!
In zone 4b we take generally take the following steps to keep roses alive through winter: 1) plant roses 6-8cm deeper than they were in pot, so that grafting spot is well guarded. 2) when nights start to become so cold that ground upper layer start to freeze, add 20-30cm layer of dry compost or special peat mix (very rough facture which does not soak water easily). 3) cover with spruce or pine branches, it guards from extra water, wind and also keeps compost in place. Other option is to cover with frost blanket (2x layer of 50g/m2 or 1x layer of 100g/m2), frost blanket must be put over a carcass, not directly over branches of rose. All except ramblers/ climbing roses we cut down to 30-50cm. If you use frost blanket, do not add that much compost over the roots though.
Excellent advice , thank you 🙏
Another factor in your category of "is the plant strong going into winter" regards perennials that are at their range of cold tolerance - say a zone 7b plant in zone 7b. Some of those perennials, especially heat lovers, seem to benefit from being planted fairly early in the growing season in order to become well established before winter. We do right much fall planting here in Central Virginia, but some plants are better planted in spring. There are also plants that are rated for a higher zone, in my case, zone 8, that can go over a winter reasonably well if well established, and perhaps protected a bit over the first winter.
Thanks for this advice Jason! I know I lost my Buddelia last year due to the cold winds! I'm in zone 6 (Southern Ontario) and it was hardy to zone 5 but I didn't protect them enough. I had mulch around but it wasn't good enough for them. I'd actually put in order for some burlap last week to wrap my more sensitive shrubs and hopefully keep the rabbits away as well!
Thanks Leia!
VERY informative!! Thanks!! 😎
My pleasure. Thanks for watching!
Been wondering about this. We get brutal wind where I live. -50 Fahrenheit wind chills today.
Hi Jason, I have watched many of your videos and want to say thank you for the great advice! I have three Don Juan roses that I planted this year, in the spring. I am in Maine, Plant Hardiness Zone 5, with great sandy soil. My question is this: when protecting climbing roses for the winter How much pruning should I do. The roses grew about six feet over the growing season. Also, I need to protect them from mice and moles so wire mesh and dry leaves won't be enough to get the roses through the winter. Have you done a video on this topic? If not is there any advice you can offer?
Thanks David. In my milder climate I hold off major pruning until spring, but if it makes it more convenient for winter protection, you could take them down to 2 or 3 ft in the fall. I've seen quite a few methods from other growers, but they're all basically some combination of hilling up soil, and tenting/caging/bagging some insulative material (leaves, shredded paper, evergreen boughs) over at least the crown and then some length of the canes.
I use the USDA zone system whenever I'm talking about my zones, only because the USDA has zone maps for just about every country, so it's easy to compare zones with other people, but, I think you should take another look at our zone system Jason, it is much more intricate and accurate in the USDA system.
Here in the Netherlands it is not the cold or wind, it is the amount of rain that kills plants.
I already put all of my rooted cuttings in my cold frame a couple of weeks ago.
And this week I will put some established plants in containers inside.
We have not yet had a lot of days with temperatures below 10C at night, but have had more than enough rain to kill a lot of plants.
The soil needs to be very well draining over here.
Thanks Bart. That makes a lot of sense - as the days get shorter & cooler, there'll be less evaporation & transpiration, so there'll definitely be excess moisture to look out for
Once again educational
Hi Jason, my question is about young perennials--- say smaller seedlings that are about 6 months old. This is my first year as small native plant nursery and learning on the fly (faster since finding your UA-cam channel this past February!)
Anyhoo.. I'm in Zone 5 but east of Lake Ontario where we get heavy snow fall from the lake.. sometimes feet of it in a day or two. I was putting the young plants into the ground in beds close together & plan on mulching them heavy with 6-8 of leaves and straw (they are all native plants). I still have several hundred to go though, some in 4" containers and others in plug trays.. about 75% of them have really nice roots.
I'm wondering if there is a better way to get them thru winter than planting them out. (A hoop or greenhouse isn't in my budget yet sadly!)
Thanks so much for the tip on putting containers near the house-- you saved 50+ large plants from certain death!! I thought the spot I was going to put them TODAY was perfect (an L shaped corner protected by wind with southern exposure).. BUT after watching your video I realized the spot is directly over the eves of a LARGE roof and a corner of the roof line that gets TONS of water!!
Wow, good save! As for your young perennials, I wonder if it might make sense to split the risk a bit and keep a smaller portion of each variety potted through the winter in a sheltered location once they go dormant. Again, I'm not so much talking about inside the house (too warm) but if you have room for a few trays in a carport, garage, or shed. Your mulched in-ground beds sound like a good solution for native plants, but I'm just thinking of the old saying about "putting all your eggs in one basket"
@@FraserValleyRoseFarm thanks so much! I debated & researched putting everyone inside in pots but never found a straight answer until I saw your video post this morning! I was concerned about their need for water and of course mice.. we have an 200+ year old barn and a garage so should have LOTS of room and the bonus of cats to guard against mice. I've really panicked about overwintering after my nursery inspector and adviser told me to brace myself for a 30-50% die off! I've put so much work into growing these from seed there is no way I'm letting them go without a fight 🤪
Think I'll go 50-50, do you think planting them together say 3 seedlings to a 1-2 gallon pot would help them overwinter?
Thank you Jason!
My pleasure. Thanks for watching Seniye
Thanks for another useful video Jason. I'm wondering if you can help. I'm in northern England I think around the rough equivalent of US zone 8 - 9? and our location is usually perfect for planting Autumn bulbs now to come in Spring. And I have planted my bulbs a couple of weeks ago. But we are apparently having the warmest Autumn on record, and my bulbs have all started sprouting now. Daffodils, snowdrops, Iris, muscari and I think tulips as well. We're having very mild days of around 8 - 16 c. When it usually feels winterry now in November. Is this going to be an issue for the bulbs sprouting early? as it is probably going to actually get cold in a week or 2. Other wild plants are coming out now as well that I usually only see in Spring. It's interesting.
Cheers. Carl.
Thanks Carl. It could be a concern if they get too far ahead, but keep in mind that most of these bulbs (tulips, daffs) are quite hardy themselves - and I've seen them take unseasonable spring cold and power through to a good flowering anyway. At this point this little you can do outside of maybe shading them and waiting for cooler weather.
Great info thank you.
Explains why two roses that usually do well in pots had a hard time last winter as they are now on a balcony that gets wind. When do roses in pots go dormant enough to move into a garage?
I wait as long as I can before bringing them in - most roses will take freezing or a little lower with no risk of damage. If they take a few frosts, you'll see the leaves turning brown or dropping, and it's a good sing that the rose is tipping into dormancy. You can then strip the remaining foliage and do a light trim if you'd like (of damaged, diseased or thin inward growth) as you bring them in.
Hey Jason 👋
Have a suggestion for a video. It would be great if you could do a video highlights roses that will form the best rosehips.
Thanks Risa. I'll add it to my list.
You have to be careful saying that if you are in zone x and you have a plant that is hardy to zone x you have a win. In the zone I am in the green industry is telling people to pick a zone colder plant to expect it to come back.
I have found this to be accurate for here.
Thanks Brandon, good point. Sometimes local growers/landscapers & gardeners will have factored in some of the limitations (windy area, lack of snow cover, winter wet, or even just a microclimate that isn't accurately represented on the map) and will build in an extra buffer to the stated zones. At this point in the video, I was more in the mode of describing how the hardiness zones are "supposed to" work, so I didn't put in a lot of qualifying language - but there's no lack of reasons why you'd want to take those recommendations with a grain of salt!
I’m in zone 5b and just finished a polycarbonate greenhouse. I want to put my potted roses in but it is not heated and I have been fighting black spot. Should I remove leaves before I put them in? Should I water over the winter? How much? Thanks for any advice!!!
PS - I live your channel - so helpful
to a newbie❤
Hi Deborah. Yes, if you have time to strip foliage, getting rid of the blackspot is a good idea before they go in.
Such a great source of info, thank you so much! I have one question, when do I know it is time to bring potted plants into the garage? The first freeze of the season?
I purchased a lot of potted plants on clearance from the store but I have not fully planned my garden and won't until spring. So I am overwintering!
Most of your plants can take a freeze or two without damage, and it helps them to "shut down" if they take a little cold before going in. I like to leave it as late as I can and then strip them down and bring them in before any deep cold in the forecast.
@@FraserValleyRoseFarm Thank you so much for taking the time to write me back! So helpful.
Great video! I would like to plant roses in my unheated tunnel, but it can be pretty wet in spring in there. How would you remedy that to minimize wet feet? Build it up with topsoil and compost? Raised beds?
It's pretty wet here too and a heavy soil, but I'd only consider changes if there's truly a drainage problem (standing water on the surface or collecting in the holes when you dig a bit). Raised beds can do the job, as the majority of rose roots are in the top 8 inches. You could also aim to address the larger problem of standing water with drainage improvements.
I live in 12b 50F- 55F is the coldest it gets during our winter to the USA east coast time
Lol. Not much risk of cold damage there!
Thank you Jason! Aren’t there some plants rated for colder zones that actually need the lower temperatures to thrive and do well? So that growing them in a warmer zone might result in a plant that is alive after a winter but not thriving?
Thanks Linda. Good point. Gardeners may look at these zone ratings systems for at least 2 very different questions about temperature: 1) what is the lowest temp my plant will survive (the topic of this video), 2) what is the chill requirement of my plant to perform well (your question).The USDA zone maps are not perfect by any means, but they do a pretty good job of approximating for question #1. Some gardening guides will also give a range, like "Zones 2-7" with the upper zone trying to answer question #2, but it's far less well suited for this purpose - the question the USDA is answering when they define the zones doesn't have to do with "days below a certain required chill temperature" but only "what's the minimum low this area is expected to reach on an average year". One zone 7 region may stay warm most of the winter, but just dip down to the low 2 or 3 times - and another zone 7 could stay at or near the minimums all season. If you do follow the "upper zone" advice offered by some publications, I'd say take it with a grain of salt - and even better to treat it as a separate question entirely based on the chill requirements of the plant.
Excellent. Thank you. Question, I have a 10x10 root cellar with one window. Can I stick my potted Japanese maples in there? It’s my first time dealing with Japanese maples in a pot. Good info here.
That sounds like a pretty good spot for shelter. Depending on your climate, I'd usually try to wait until it's had a few frosts and the foliage is dropping - and then strip the remainder and tuck it in just before a deeper cold is forecast.
@@FraserValleyRoseFarm
Ah, didn’t even think of them getting a few frosts first. That makes sense. Thank you. We’re having warnings for frost and 20 degrees already in ne Oklahoma. Roses are easier I told a friend 😉
Great information! What about overwintering potted boxwood in an unheated basement entrance that doesn't go below freezing but has zero light (no windows)?
Hi Jane. Boxwood it a tough one because it's evergreen, and I suspect it might suffer without at least a little light.
@@FraserValleyRoseFarm That's what I thought as well. Thanks!
Years ago, I was reading a book about perennials and assumed since I lived in a place two or three zones warmer than the author, that surely I too could grow all the things he listed. HA! Snow cover makes a ton of difference. This author was used to having his entire garden below at least a 2 foot layer of snow continuously for the entire winter.
I live where snow is come and go. The plants are subjected over and over to freeze thaw, freeze thaw. I think that is the other most common reason for winter kill.
Thanks J.C. - no doubt! Reliable snow cover and (relatively) stable temperatures are both a huge advantage in overwintering plants. I don't think there's any way to map all the factors accurately for gardeners, so it eventually (as always) comes down to local experience.
As I live in the south of the UK it seems that it is roughly zone 9. As I am moving house next year I have some roses in containers and some in the ground. Up to now I have been deadheading all have flowers and buds. Should I stop deadheading so that the plants can settle down for the winter.? Plus if I want to take the roses in the ground with me when I move next summer should I replant them in containers while they are dormant? Thanks for all your videos. ☺
Hi Pauline. Yes, I'm in a similar climate and I've stopped deadheading and fertilizing just to let them rest a bit. It's a tough call about the best time to dig up your roses from the ground and get them into containers - but you have a mild enough climate that you can probably get away with a) now, b) in early spring just before they resume growth or c) just before the move. I suspect b) & c) could be busier times for you, so tackling them now might not be a bad idea.
Many thanks for taking the time to advise me☺
You mentioned plant stored energy helped is winter survival. Where is the energy stored; roots only or in both roots and stems.
Will pruning stems in fall reduce this stored energy or help in winter because of reduced load on energy when stems are pruned in fall.
It's stored in the wood, so fall pruning (unless warranted for other reasons) is not really advised.
Jason, is a unheated shed with windows a good choice for storing roses/hydrangeas in containers?
Hi Amy - yes, I think it's just about ideal. Once dormant, neither one uses much water - but just check on them every now and again to make sure they're not bone dry.
@@FraserValleyRoseFarm Noted with thanks.
Will stripping the leaves off the roses help with the wind desiccation?
If you have time for the extra work, stripping down the leaves from nearly-dormant roses can help in a couple of ways: one is to prevent desiccation, the other is that you remove diseased leaf tissue that may carry over (whether clinging to the stems or dropped to the base of the plant) that could reinfect the fresh leaves in spring. A spray with lime-sulfur and dormant oil when fully dormant also helps to smother remaining spores on the stems.
im subscribed too. Thank you
...after watching this, I'm convinced I just killed all my plants...(Yesterday I cut down all my salvias, but they'd had no prior maintenance for the past two years and we've had a really bad drought so I think they struggled.)
Sorry to hear it - and I hope they surprise you!
@@FraserValleyRoseFarm Thanks! I hope so too! XD
What is the climate zone for melbourne australia ?
Australia might use a different rating system as well, but so far the USDA zones I think it would be zone 10
some say daylias
some say dollias
some say dallias
Wait! Wind doesn’t effect plants temperature…. They don’t feel wind like humans
No, they don't feel, but a cold but it does hasten any temperature losses - plus air hold much less moisture than warm air, and so it directly damages the tissues through desiccation.
Thank you for this information ❤