Tips For Preparing Roses For Winter

Rose enthusiasts have many devices for putting their roses to bed and protecting them from winter’s extreme weather.

As roses go into their seasonal swan song, resist the temptation to deadhead. This intentional neglect is good for the plant, letting it put its energy into developing rose hips rather than new growth that will die at first frost.

Refreshing your mulch to a depth of two inches is important at this time to keep the soil moist. Before adding new mulch, turn over the top few inches of soil, folding in the mulch from this season. Doing so not only aerates the soil but also exposes buried weed seeds and insect larvae to the cold air and turns fungal spores deep into the soil.

Now is a good time to secure the long canes of your climbers, ramblers and other vigorous growers. Lattices, fences and the like provide harbor for the winter, protecting the canes from wind damage and protecting visitors to the winter garden.

It is not winter’s cold that kills roses, but its roller-coaster weather patterns. If you choose to mound your roses, don’t use a material that is wet or soggy, like fresh cow manure or garden soil. Prolonged contact over the winter with a wet mound can cause canes to die back. Loose wood chips are a better alternative.