I learned last year (after an unusually cold winter) that they could send up new shoots from the roots, Rita.. I had actually pulled a few out before I stopped and waited!! Last November we covered all the bushes with tons of straw. We'll see if this made a difference. I'm waiting for it to be warm enough to safely take the straw away from the roots. I do leave the straw to decay and add to the nutrients in the soil. I used Wilt Pruf the year before last and it didn't seem to help much.
