Advice for Overwintering Your Roses!

Charlotte Weidner | February 14, 2026

Most people cover their Roses for the winter too early!

Not only are you depriving the plant of soaking up every ounce of sun the leaves possibly can before dropping, but you are potentially trapping disease and fungal problems with your Rose all winter!

So with fickle weather and a vast difference in climates across the US - How do you know when it’s time to winterize your Rose Bushes?

Knowing When To Winterize Your Roses

So how do you know it’s time to cover and protect your prized Rose bush, Rose Tree, or Climbing Rose?

Simple! Wait until your Rose plants have been exposed to several killing touches of frost and some good colder weather to help them go fully dormant BEFORE covering (if winter protection is needed in your area).

Once all those leaves have fallen and your stems are bare, wait a few more good consistently cold nights to ensure your plant is fully dormant.

Now it’s time to cover your Roses!

Steps To Prepare Your Roses For Winter

Now that your Rose is dormant, it’s time to protect them based on your climate.

Choose a dry day to cover your Roses when the canes are dry and not covered in morning dew or last night's rain/sprinklers.
Rake all the fallen foliage away from the area, remove other debris from the area, and dispose of it, including cleaning out the crown of the plant of any debris that has collected over the growing season.
All Rose types can benefit from additional mulch added right on the plant's crown and root zone spread into a mound about 8-12 inches deep. Any kind of shredded mulch (bags may still be available near you), or clean deciduous leaves works great.

Heap the arborist mulch right where the canes come out of the ground piling it up about a foot thick. This will protect the canes from dying back and protect the crown and grafted portion if there is one. The exposed parts will discolor and may die back but those parts get cut off in spring anyway, and the covered portions will remain green and viable.

Many gardeners still use styrofoam Rose cones but those plants would rot underneath the cones as they do not allow air circulation. If you are using these, be sure to cut the tops off the cones and add some mulch to allow moisture exchange during the winter months.

Now that the framework of your Roses is easier to see, you can remove all debris and dead branches from the Rose bush's interior, but save the major pruning until spring. Wait to prune your Roses until late winter or early spring so any winter damage is removed when being pruned. For Climbing Roses and those varieties that bloom on last year's wood - these won’t get pruned until after the June bloom is done.

Climbing Roses

If your Climbing Roses are growing in a fairly protected area out of harsh winds and extreme temperatures, wrapping them with burlap or evergreen boughs will give sufficient winter protection. In colder and harsher climates, create a cage of chicken wire around your canes and fill it with clean leaves or mulch.

Secure canes to their supports (it’s easier now that you can see them without their leaves).
Wrap the canes in burlap if a little extra winter protection is needed. Gently tie with twine. Or use the chicken wire cage method filled with loose, dry material.
Mound 10-12 inches of mulch around the base of the plant.

Avoid adding compost as it may stimulate plants to grow with its mild fertility if you have a warm-up during the winter. Spread this black gold around your plant's roots in the spring when you see new growth emerge.

Extra Disease Prevention

If disease and fungus are issues in your area, it is a good idea to choose Roses that have natural or built-in disease resistance. Optional sprays are available for your Rose canes if you noticed issues on your Rosebush this year. Use a fungicide or disease-preventing dormant oil spray solution or a solution of 1/3 cup baking soda to 1 gallon of water.

Get Your Roses Winter Ready!

With just a bit of planning and timing, you’ll enjoy an entire romantic Rose garden or keep that one Rose bush happy and healthy for years to come!

Head over to NatureHills.com for more to help you get your garden winter-ready! Then check out our Garden Blog to learn about Un-Wintering Your Roses in spring to help your garden wake up on the right side of the bed!

Happy Planting!

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do you overwinter rose bushes in cold climates?

To overwinter rose bushes in cold climates, wait until after several killing frosts have hardened the plants before applying protection, which is typically around Thanksgiving across the middle states and sooner in more northern zones. Pile shredded mulch or compost directly at the base of the canes about one foot deep to protect the lower portions from dieback. If you use styrofoam rose cones, cut the tops off to allow airflow and prevent rot underneath. Hold off on pruning until late winter or early spring so you can remove any winter damage at that time.

How do you properly cover roses to protect them from frost and freezing temperatures?

To properly protect roses from winter damage, wait until after several killing frosts have helped the plants go dormant before adding any cover, which in most mid-section states falls around Thanksgiving time. Pile shredded mulch or compost directly at the base where the canes emerge from the ground, building it up to about one foot thick to keep the canes green and viable through winter. If you use styrofoam rose cones, cut the tops off to allow moisture to escape and prevent rot underneath. Hold off on pruning until late winter or early spring so you can remove any winter-damaged wood at that time.

Can roses survive hard freezes if left unprotected?

Some roses, particularly modern shrub rose types, are hardier than others, but hybrid teas, grandifloras, and floribundas are vulnerable to hard freezes and benefit from winter protection in colder regions. In the midsection of the country and further north, unprotected canes are likely to die back significantly or fail to survive the winter entirely. The good news is that a simple foot-deep pile of shredded mulch or compost mounded right at the base of the plant where the canes meet the ground is all you need to protect the most critical portion of the plant. Wait until after several killing frosts, around Thanksgiving in mid-country zones, then mound your mulch and let the roses go into spring with viable, protected canes ready for a strong growing season.

How do you winterize climbing roses versus shrub roses?

Shrub roses and most modern rose types benefit from a foot-deep mound of shredded mulch or compost piled right where the canes emerge from the ground, applied after several killing frosts have encouraged dormancy, typically around Thanksgiving across much of the country. Climbing roses require a bit more effort since their long canes are more exposed, and in colder zones you may need to carefully remove the canes from their support, bundle them loosely, and lay them on the ground before covering with mulch or burlap. For both types, hold off on pruning until late winter or early spring so you can assess winter damage and remove it at that time. Focus on protecting the crown and lower canes now, and let spring reveal what survived before you start cutting.

Should you cut back roses before winter, and how far?

Wait to prune your roses until late winter or early spring rather than cutting them back before winter sets in. Pruning in fall removes wood that actually helps protect the plant, and any winter damage is best assessed and removed once you can see what survived. The exception is roses that bloom on last year's wood, such as certain climbing roses, which should not be pruned until after their June bloom is finished. Focus your fall energy on mounding a foot of mulch at the base of the canes instead, and save your pruners for spring.

How do you protect rose roots from freezing during winter?

To protect rose roots from freezing, wait until after several killing frosts have allowed your roses to go fully dormant before applying winter protection, which in most of the midsection of the country means waiting until around Thanksgiving. Pile shredded mulch or compost directly over the base of the plant where the canes emerge from the ground, building it up to about one foot thick. This insulates the root zone and keeps the buried canes green and viable even if the exposed portions above the mulch die back. Apply your mulch at the right time, avoid covering too early, and plan to prune away any winter damage in late winter or early spring.

Can frost-tolerant roses skip winter protection in mild climates?

In mild climates where hard freezes are rare or absent, frost-tolerant shrub roses and modern hardy varieties can generally skip formal winter protection. However, even in warmer regions, a light 2 to 3 inch layer of mulch around the base of the plant is a simple precaution that helps regulate soil temperature and retain moisture through cooler months. If you garden in USDA zones 7 and above, focus less on heavy mounding and more on timing your late winter or early spring pruning to remove any cold-damaged canes before new growth begins.

When is it safe to remove winter protection from roses in spring?

Wait until the threat of hard freezes has passed in your area before removing winter mulch from your roses, which typically falls in late winter to early spring depending on your zone. Remove the mulch gradually rather than all at once to allow the plants to adjust. As you pull back the protection, use that opportunity to prune away any winter-damaged canes, cutting back to healthy green wood.

What materials work best for insulating roses against winter cold?

Any kind of shredded mulch or compost works excellently for insulating roses through winter. Pile your chosen material directly where the canes emerge from the ground, building it up about a foot thick to keep the canes green and viable beneath the surface. If you opt for styrofoam rose cones instead, cut the tops off to allow moisture to escape and prevent rotting underneath. For most gardeners in the midsection of the country, aim to apply your mulch around Thanksgiving, after several killing frosts have helped the plants go fully dormant.