When should I un-burlap my roses in spring?

[4fatkitties]

In the late fall, I wrapped my rose bushes (Love's Promise, Knock Out, Bonica, and Oregold) with burlap and stuffed them with leaves for the winter. When should I unwrap them and remove the leaf stuffing? I live in north central MA and the snow is melted around them but we still get freezing temperatures at night. I just planted them last fall and they're almost 3' tall, do they need a pruning this spring? If so, how far back?

thanks for your help,
Heather

[The Helpful Gardener]

Hi Heather

You wrapped 'Knockout'? The others might need it but that one is Zone 4 hardy and doesn't need much help. Beat it with a stick and talk dirty to it and it will be just fine. The same goes for 'Bonica'. I'd take 'em off those now and wouldn't bother wrapping either of those from here on out...

The other's are all pretty solid roses; freezing they can handle, it's the really low temps and drying winds in winter that you bundle against. Temps aren't that low and if you're around Worcester then you know dry isn't much of an issue for us today! You can unwrap those this time of year or a little later; look for the new shoots on the old canes. I'd cut those two back to about six to eight inches; the first two shrub roses I'd see where they were breaking solid and cut a few inches below that. In either case make sure to leave that last bud on the outside of the plant...

Check out the pruning article under the rose haeding for more info...

Scott

[4fatkitties]

Scott,
You said to see where the roses were "breaking solid" and cut beneath that. What does that mean? Also, where should the big union part of the plant be buried? At soil height, below ground or above? What is a good type of mulch to use around the base or should I use any? How much space should the plants have around them so they're not too crowded? Thanks so much for your advice.

Heather

[wingdesigner]

Breaking solid, could be a local "ism", but I would guess that it means where the winterkill (brown or black stem) ends and the green starts. Prune to an outward-facing bud below that line, check the wood, it should be nice and white on the inside; if not, go lower.

[The Helpful Gardener]

Yep, that's it , Wing. Where the breaks come even and regular...