How to protect potted roses on deck?

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Tue, Sep 23, 14 at 14:05

I would rather not bring my potted roses inside since I did that last year and they both died from the root up. If I decide to leave them out on the deck, what should I do to protect them? Or is it better to put them underneath the deck?

I recall someone here suggested blankets and/or sleeping bags for warmth---does that really work?

Thank you for any suggestions. My Sugar Moon and Marilyn Monroes are doing great in the pots and I want to have them next year. Here's a pic of MM:

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RE: How to protect potted roses on deck?

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Posted by michaelg 7a NC Mts (My Page) on
Tue, Sep 23, 14 at 14:56

Insulation will not help if there are some hours at zero or below. The roots will be damaged.

The earth is a source of heat that keeps topsoil in the 20s when the air is zero. But on the deck, the roots are separated from the ground heat. So put the pot on the bare ground against the house foundation, preferably on the south or east side, and pile leaves around the pot. When temperatures will fall below 10, add some more leaves to protect the lower canes temporarily. Remove these during mild spells or as soon as the worst of winter is over. Mulching over the canes could encourage canker during mild weather.

This post was edited by michaelg on Tue, Sep 23, 14 at 15:00

RE: How to protect potted roses on deck?

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Posted by seil z6b MI (My Page) on
Tue, Sep 23, 14 at 20:53

I'm not surprised that your roses didn't winter inside. Most homes do not have anywhere near the right conditions to make them happy. It's better to let them go dormant and protect them. Michael has good advice for winterizing them outside. That is exactly how I winter my 40 some potted roses. But if you have an unheated garage and only a few pots you can also winter them in there. Put them on blocks off the cement floor and water them once a month all winter and they should do OK. The reason you need to water them is because inside the garage they won't be getting any rain or snow on them, I have one rose that goes in my shed for the winter. What I usually do is dump a shovel full of snow on the top of the pot when ever we shovel. They don't need a lot of water but they do need some all winter long.

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