Caring for roses in autumn

Now that you’ve planted your bags of spring-blooming bulbs, emptied and stored all your containers, fertilized the lawn, and shredded your leaves…wait, you’re still working on that? Of course you are — we all are. 

If you also grow roses, you might want to check out the recommendations in “Putting Roses to Bed.” Judith Adam describes our roses’ journey to dormancy and ways to help them survive a cold winter. Another task to add to your list.

Fortunately, several pleasant fall days have helped keep us on track, but we gardeners always have one eye on the calendar and the other on the weather forecast to keep us motivated.

Pruning young trees

Pruning young trees is one task that doesn’t need to be completed in the next few weeks. In fact, it’s best to do this in late fall, winter or early spring, when trees are dormant. Leaf, a backyard tree planting program, outlines what tree issues may need to be addressed and how to approach pruning in a responsible way.

Advice on growing hardy kiwis

Kiwis seem like such an exotic, tropical fruit, and those we see in grocery stores are generally hardy only to Zone 8, meaning not many Canadians can grow their own. But there are two hardier kiwi varieties that produce fruit on vigorous vines or large shrubs. These plants produce smaller fruits, but they don’t require peeling. Larry Hodgson’s Laidback Gardener describes their remarkable cold tolerance and what you need to do to enjoy a stellar crop of these tiny green gems.

Prairie Garden to launch new edition Nov. 18

The Prairie Garden, which publishes a yearly growing guide for northern gardeners, will host an online launch of its latest edition — its 82nd! —  on Nov. 18 at 7 pm via Zoom. Registration on Zoom is required for the event, which will also be streamed on YouTube, where it can be viewed later.

The title of the volunteer group’s latest publication is Flowering Shrubs, with a Special Feature on Roses. Editors and contributors will introduce the book and provide insights into what gardeners can learn from the new edition. The book can be ordered through theprairiegarden.com.