Frost damage?

[Pointer]

Quite a few of my climbers, mainly Sander's White, Minnehaha & Excelsia, have turned black on the younger stems, others are orangey-brown and don't look very healthy. We've had hard frosts up here in the N-E Scotland since before Xmas, do you think there is any hope for them or will they have to be replaced?

[Britta]

Hi Pointer,

Welcome to the forum!
This sounds like frost damage indeed. Cut back the canes to healthy wood and protect, where possible, at least from biting winds by horticultural fleece or something the likes. The roses should come back in spring, give them a boost with manure as soon as the soil warms up. To prevent this next year, I would stop feeding latest august with a potassiumrich dessert, so the canes have time to mature (and are less prone to frostdamage). But with the weather that unpredictable...

Hope this helps :)

Britta

[PeterBealesRoses]

Quite a few of my climbers, mainly Sander's White, Minnehaha & Excelsia, have turned black on the younger stems, others are orangey-brown and don't look very healthy. We've had hard frosts up here in the N-E Scotland since before Xmas, do you think there is any hope for them or will they have to be replaced?
Hello Pointer,

This sounds like frost die back. The roses haven't been hardy enough during these extended cold periods for the new shoots to survive, this is quite common and is almost expected at this time of year in cold climates. We have members on this forum from even further North than you (parts of Scandinavia) who grow roses most successfully - they just "overwinter" them by protecting them.

Prune all the dead and diseased wood off back down to green healthy wood and protect until it is warmer, fleece or bubble wrap has been suggested on this forum before as suitable methods of protection. You could pile up peat in a pyramid shape around the bottom 6" of the plant to ensure that the live buds at the bottom stay alive through the cold periods then after the last risk of real frost has gone take the protection off, prune to an outward facing bud and they will be fine through spring and summer.

I hope that helps!

Pete
IT Manager

[Pointer]

Thanks to all for the tips which I will try out this week. By the way I have a garden of over 1500 roses mainly Peter Beales, and they take some looking after. Pointer.

[Britta]

Hi Pointer,

WOW! Have some fotos to post ? :) Cuuuurious!

Britta

:)

[hannes]

Hello Pointer,
a warm welcome to the forum from me too. I second Britta, a garden with 1500 roses is amazing and fuels curiosity. I'd like to ask at least a hundred questions about your garden ... Would be very nice to hear more about it. Caring for such a number of plants also must provide a tremendous experience with regard to cultivation of roses. Definitely sounds like a full-time job to me.

All the best for your frost damaged climbers.
Greetings
Hannes