When the first frosts are already knocking on the window, many gardeners rush to cover their roses, peonies and chrysanthemums. But often in the spring a problem is discovered under the shelter: the stems have turned black, the buds have rotted, and only dry sticks remain from the bush. The reason is not frost, but dampness and fungi that multiply under cover, especially if the autumn was rainy.
To avoid this, just take one simple step before the shelter. You need to sprinkle the base of the bushes with a mixture of wood ash and onion peels. This is not chemistry, but a natural antiseptic, proven over decades.
Wood ash creates a slightly alkaline environment in which fungi, including the blackleg pathogen, do not multiply. And onion peels contain phytoncides – natural substances that repel not only fungi, but also pest larvae.
How to do:
- Collect dry onion peels and crush them with your hands.
- Mix with 2-3 handfuls of wood ash.
- After pruning the roses and before covering, carefully sprinkle the mixture on the root zone and the lower part of the stems.
- Only then lay the spruce branches or covering material.
Do not water after this; the soil should be dry. The main thing is that the mixture sits before the rains and persistent frosts.
In the spring, you will remove the cover and see green, strong shoots without spots or rot. Even in wet spring, roses do not get sick, because the protection worked in the fall.
Question and answer:
When exactly to sprinkle roses?
After pruning and before persistent frost sets in in November, depending on the region.
Will ash harm roses?
Not if used in moderation. Roses tolerate a slightly alkaline reaction well. But do not use on acidic soils if they are already very deoxidized.
