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It’s All About Roses in the Winter!

roses-194490_640Roses thrive in the cooler weather, offering rainbows of colors and scents while other plants may be a little less enthusiastic about the cold. Roses do require a push start to productivity; the next four weeks are the best time to ‘trick’ your roses into dormancy. You want to cut your roses back to 1/3 their original size, remove all the leaves, add a splash of fresh mulch, followed by rose food as the first new leaves appear and voila! Beautiful roses throughout the season. This is generally a one month process but the roses may leaf out more quickly during milder winters. Many choose to cut roses back in September so as not to lose any bloom time through the season. We do not condone it. It is not a good idea, but we understand it…

Boxes of bare root sticks arrived; we’ve planted them and now Mother Nature will take over to form perfectly rooted shrubs for your gardening pleasure. Moller’s rose bushes will be available sometime in January, as the weather permits. Look for an e-blast from us when the roses are ready for sale. The 2013 Rose List is now available through our web site at www.mollersgardencenter.com. Reserve your roses early.

Desert gardening rule of thumb through the winter months is: Sit back and enjoy.

Watch for cold weather frost warnings. Freeze cloth (available at Moller’s) is a lightweight breathable blanket used to cover frost tender foliage like bougainvillea and impatiens. This protects plant material from damage when the temperature drops. It can cover plants for several days because it is a breathable fabric. Continue fertilizing through the winter months; just be sure to use liquid fertilizer products from Foxfarm or MiracleGro to ensure proper absorption. CUT BACK ON YOUR WATER!! Every DAY, we hear water horror stories. A yellow leaf does not mean a thirsty plant! Be sure the water is on long enough to fully saturate the roots then leave it off long enough for those roots to dry out before watering again. Generally speaking, one time a day watering every three days (or twice weekly) is ample water for any established plantings in your garden. One more watering trick: begin water start times a little later during the cold months to keep water from freezing. This prevents slippery walkways and damaged plant material. Come visit us in the Nursery with any questions you have. Sit back and enjoy!

Winter Gardening News

You may have noticed our newsletters tend to follow weather trends rather than months of the year. So much of desert gardening is dependent on weather and our weather often keeps us guessing. The fall season for us can feel like summer to others; our winters tend to be like spring for most of the country.

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