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!
