In her weekly newsletter, Growing Wonder with Felicia Alvarez: Simple Tips for Thriving Roses, Gardens & Homes, Felicia offers expert advice to help you cultivate stunning roses, vibrant gardens, and welcoming homes. Each edition features a subscriber-submitted question, where Felicia provides thoughtful answers to your rose, garden, and home-related queries. This Q&A was originally featured as a highlighted question from one of our subscribers, published in the newsletter.
Q: "We are experiencing some severe below zero temps this week here in Montana. Our winters are harsh and no fun. This is my last Montana winter hopefully. I have 60 potted roses and put them all under cover in sheds. The leaves are crunchy. They are in pots to take when I move. Will they survive?"
Submitted by: Charmaine from Columbus, Montana - Zone 4b
- Check the internal temperature of the shed. Place a thermometer in the shed to monitor the temperature regularly. Ideally, it should stay above freezing. If it gets too cold, consider adding insulation or a small, safe heat source.
- Ensure they're getting some sunlight. If the shed is completely dark, try to move them to a spot where they all can get indirect light, or consider using grow lights to support their recovery.
- Monitor the soil moisture. If the soil in the pots is completely dry, water them lightly, but be cautious of overwatering in cold conditions.
- Protect the roots. Insulate the pots with straw, bubble wrap, or blankets to shield the roots from extreme cold.
- Plan for gradual recovery. Once temperatures warm up, reintroduce them to sunlight slowly to prevent shock.
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