Question
I bought some knockout tree roses this summer & don't know how to winterize them. I cannot, of course, put cones over them. They are about 3.5' tall from ground up. I absolutely love them & naturally don't want to lose them during our Illinois winters that can be harsh.
Thank you very much!
carol

Answer
Hi Carol,

You have double trouble in that there  are two grafts on your tree roses- one normally found at the bottom of the plant and one up top where the plant actually grows.

Not having to perform that action in Zone 8, I confirmed what I had seen and is much better than digging and tipping the tree rose.


The  information below is by John Shelly of the Yankee District- an affiliate of the American Rose Society.  What he has described works for two reasons: it is easier on you and the tree rose.

It looks like it is hard but he has great details in doing this porcess.

www.arsyankee.org/treeroses.htm

Things You抣l Need to Winterize:



1. A good dormant oil. I prefer Ultra-fine spray, which is a paraffin-based dormant and seasonal spray.

2. One bale of salt marsh hay usually available at Agway or other farm product stores; cost $12.00 a bale, usually imported from Canada.

3. Insulated pipe wrap tubing available from places like Home Depot and other hardware stores.  I use 3/4?I.D by 3/8?thick. It comes in 8 ft. lengths, split down the middle at a cost of about a $1.00 for an 8 ft. section. No need to tie it. There is an adhesive stick on the slit. Just place it on the trunk and squeeze it together; real simple and easy.

4. Bubble wrap, available at Wal-Mart and other places. It usually comes in 18?by 9 ft. rolls at a cost of about $2.00 a roll. Does about six trees. You know what bubble wrap is; it抯 that stuff that comes in a box wrapped around breakable items. If you have any extra when you finish with the roses, you can bring it in the house and sit around and pop til?you drop! It抯 fun!

5. Burlap comes in 3 ft. by 25 ft. rolls. Cost about $4.00 a roll. Does about six trees.

6.  Electrical tape.



The Shelly Technique
The weekend after Thanksgiving cut all remaining foliage from the rose trees. Don抰 strip it off. Cut it off with shears. Do light priming. If possible leave about two feet of growth. Seal the larger cuts with a pruning stick. Spray tho璻oughly with Ultra-fine oil. Use the dormant oil concentration, which is usually about five teaspoons per gallon of water. Make sure to spray the trunk, bud union, canes and the ground thoroughly. Seal any open holes or cracks in the bud union or trunk with grafters?wax. This eliminates hiding places for insects in the spring. When adding your salt marsh hay and burlap, spray it well in the process. It is very important to do this because it will deter and eliminate insects and spores trying to winter over on the bush.

Place the pipe wrap around the trunk, from the ground all the way up, overlapping as much of the bud union as possible. Remove the protective adhesive tape from the slit in the tube. Close the pipe wrap securely; it will stick together. Mound up mulch and soil about a foot up the rootstock. Fill the inside of the bush with loosely packed salt marsh hay. Wrap the bubble wrap around the bud union and the canes, starting at about four inches below the bud union, wrapping up about a foot. The bubble wrap will stick to the thorns on the cane. Don抰 put any bubble wrap over the top of the bubble wrap cone. Position the salt marsh hay around the outside of the bubble wrap and wrap it with burlap. This process is easier if someone helps you hold the salt marsh hay as you wrap with the burlap. Make a couple of wraps around with burlap, leaving the top open with about eight to twelve inches of canes exposed. The burlap can be held and secured with electrical tape. With the top open you can fill in any voids using the salt marsh hay. Try not to pack it too tight. You want it light and fluffy but not stuffy! I like to leave the top somewhat open to allow rain and snow to pass through. It will also deter field mice from making a tree rose home. To summarize, the process consists of the pipe wrap insulator on the trunk, then starting from the outside of the bush the layers are burlap, salt marsh hay, bubble wrap and salt marsh hay in the middle. It抯 a simple process that takes about ten minutes for each tree. Don抰 ask me how or why it works. Not only does it work, but it works very well. I use this technique on some of my less hardy hybrid teas. When done, give the whole scarecrow one more good shot of spray and say good-bye to it until spring. I usually say these words, 揕ive long and prosper.?If you抮e nutty enough to do all this, you probably talk to your roses, too!

Be sure your tree is securely staked. It may be necessary to use two stakes during the winter. These big scarecrows can get quite heavy in a heavy snowfall. I also do a very light pruning on the tree roses in the fall, letting them draw as much energy from the canes as possible. I believe my technique can be used on traditional rose bushes including tender hybrid teas in Zone 4 where rose lovers sometimes treat roses as annuals, having to purchase new plants every year because of winterkill. I might suggest you try my method, adding insulated pipe wrap on the canes. Good Luck!

Let me know if you have any other questions

Jay