LADYBUG SAYS ... PLANTS NEED SECURITY FROM WINTER'S TOUCH

As the saying goes, "You can't win 'em all."

Last week the Ladybug wrote about preparation of plants before the frigid blasts of winter descended.

Then what happened? Those frigid blasts came and all the tips in the column were for nought. This is what happens sometimes with an early deadline and no indication temperatures would drop so precipitously or so quickly.

The winds of November effectively froze out most of the still tender plants before many home owners could get them protected.

Temperatures in the 20s are simply too cold for most plants. Fall vegetable gardens and many fall flowers gave it up until spring.

All is not lost, however. Some plants are hardy and will survive until they can be mulched and put away for winter. There will be warm weather during November and bulbs can be planted. The rain that preceded the cold spell soaked in and now drought-hardened ground can be dug for bulbs with a trowel or shovel instead of a pick-axe.

One of the chief reasons roses need winter protection is their ability to bloom over and over again. Hybrid teas and their cousins, grandifloras and floribundas, simply do not know when the party is over and they should prepare for their long winter's nap. This reluctance to go dormant exposes new growth to harsh, drying winter winds, sudden freezes and even sub-zero weather.

The gardener's first job in readying roses for winter is to discourage new growth and further bloom, according to the All-America Rose Selections Inc. (AARS), an association of rose growers and introducers.

Pruning and feeding encourages growth and flowering, so roses should not receive any type of fertilizer now. Now that we have had the first killing frost, prune lightly, cutting just enough to keep winter winds from damaging exposed canes. Do continue watering when needed, since roses are thirsty plants, and in autumn they prepare for the winter dry season. Now that we have just had more than five inches of rainfall, it will not be necessary to water them soon, but one should watch them carefully during the winter months.

Roses need protection from extended periods of sub-freezing weather from the time the ground freezes solid. A covering of leaf mulch (oak leaves are best) or bark works well, but the best is dirt mounded up around the base of each rose bush to a depth of about 12 inches.

Authorities advise not using soil already in the garden because this risks unearthing the rose's roots and exposing them to the elements. By bringing in fresh earth, one is also top dressing the plants for next spring.

Another approach is the use of Styrofoam rose cones. Using these does mean cutting the rose cones back quite a bit. If you use cones, be sure to secure them with a heavy rock or brick on top. Choose cones that can be opened at the top to allow ventilation. This is necessary on warm winter days when the temperature inside the cones rise.

A final way one can help roses survive the rigors of winter is by choosing rose plants carefully. Not all hybrid teas are equally fit for winter survival. Some can survive with precious little outside help and others are truly tender. Hardiness is one of the criteria that AARS judges use in evaluating new rose varieties. Since AARS test gardens span the country, with locations in cold weather climates of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Colorado, the AARS winners have proved themselves in the toughest climates.

The new 1992 AARS winners, Brigadoon, Pride 'n' Joy, and All That Jazz, will be available at local garden centers and through mail order catalogs for spring planting. These winners were grown and evaluated for two complete growing seasons in gardens from coast to coast and from Arizona to Maine.

Brigadoon is a tall, upright growing hybrid tea rose. Its artfully shaped, fully double blooms boast unique coral pink and cream coloring. Petals shade from full, rich coral at the outer tips to warm creamy coral pink at the base. The reverse of each petal is a light, sunwashed cream.

Pride 'n' Joy is a miniature rose whose blooms are shaped with the elegance of full size hybrid teas. It displays bright orange blooms softened with sunny yellow shading on the reverse side of each petal. This mini grows round and compact, and when fully grown can be up to three feet tall.

All That Jazz is a landscape rose, a true shrub that can grow up to five feet tall and just as wide. Unusual single blooms of large deep coral petals, it is highlighted by brightly yellow stamens showing at the center.

Rose growers watch for the new AARS winners for additions to their collections. Just what this early freeze and temperature drop will do to roses and other plantings, such as azaleas, shrubs and trees, before they had time to condition for colder weather, will be seen later.