Winter Care

Winter care varies with the different climates so local gardeners advice is invaluable. However there are some general guidelines to follow. Rose bushes die or die back over the winter from cold drying winds, changes in freezing and thawing and from cold temperatures to the bud union. To protect the bud union mound up soil or a mulch to about one foot high after the first hard frost. Do not cut canes in the fall or give nitrogen fertilizers as both stimulate soft new growth which will be killed. Long canes on bushes or climbers can be tied to prevent wind rock. Container plants can be moved inside to an unheated space when their leaves fall off and a little water should be given monthly to prevent drying out.

Overwintering Roses in Pots

Roses in pots require special care to overwinter in cold climates where the temperature falls below zero.

If you have some area where you could bury them at least 12-18' deep, I guarantee they will survive the winter. I mean cover them up like you were digging a grave. Lay them on their side in the hole, pot and all. Line the hole with shredded leaves or wood shavings. Make sure they go dormant before you bury them. Dig the hole in early fall and have it ready in case the real cold weather catches you off guard.

If you have no access to a place to bury them, then I suggest you let them go dormant and store them in an unheated garage. They will be ok as long as the temp in the garage doesn't drop below 20 degrees. If it does then wrap an old quilt or something like that around them when it drops below 20 degrees.

Remove it when the temp goes back up. Make sure you don't let the soil dry out. You don't want to keep the soil wet but if the soil is allowed to dry out so will the bushes and they will die. If you have room in the garage, set the pot in a large tub and surround it with wood shavings, compost, soil or shredded leaves piling them high over the bud union.

Keep them away from a fiber glass door or window. Light coming thru will warm up the plant and cause premature bud swelling which could get frozen at night and also kill your rose. These methods are extreme but I feel they offer the best choices considering.

Or you could drive down to my house and let me store them for you over the winter in my poly house. Human beings are constantly trying to artificially over winter roses in situations where the odds are against them. All we can do is everything possible and PRAY.

Winter Protection for Tree Roses

The recommended method to winterize in my zone 5 area where it gets to -20 degrees is to dig a trench on one side of it big enough to lay the tree roses over and bury it. After you get the trench dug, you dig in on the side opposite the trench and cut the roots so you can lay the tree over. That way half of the roots are still in the ground. Don't cut the roots too short.

It will look like a little grave when you are thru. Bury the tree rose at least 12 inches deep. AFTER the ground freezes cover the whole thing with 6-8 inches of shredded leaves. In th spring when the Forsythia bloom dig it up, prune the top back, removing all the dead wood. Try to leave about 12" of cane after you prune but remember, the shorter you prune, the bushier your tree rose will be. If you leave the canes too long the bush will be kind of gangly. The weakest part on a tree rose is the bud union. Unlike a regular rose, that bud union is exposed and if frozen too severely the differing tissues will separate, killing it. You can prune some this fall to make it easier to bury it but don't cut off any more than necessary. Remember, this spring you can cut off more but you can't put it back on. I advocate spring pruning only.

Another method that may work but requires you to watch it closely is to move it into an unheated garage, if it's planted in a pot. If not, then that rules that out.

A local rose society or Consulting Rosarian near you can tell you better how much winter care you need to use.