Preparation of Roses for Winter

By Monica Valentovic

It is Fall and time to get your roses ready for next year. That is right, winter protection will help get your roses ready for a good start nest Spring. First, all nitrogen containing fertilizers should have been stopped in September. The Fall is a time to shift from growing leaves and blooms to growing rose roots. It is important to monitor the rainfall in your garden throughout the winter. Roses need to have sufficient water in order to prevent dehydration of the rose canes and to allow sufficient feeding of the plant through the roots. Test your soil for moisture if we have a dry winter. If we have a very wet winter, then make sure that your roses have good drainage to prevent rotting within the root zone.

November is the time to seriously begin winter protection of your roses. The signal that winter has arrived are two hard frosts to your garden. We already have had two nights below 30, but you need to monitor your own yard to determine the right time. Two hard frosts need to occur within your own microclimate. Consequently, even though we have had hard frost, this may not be the case for a rose garden within the city.

Winter protection is done to provide an insulating layer between the roses and the air. A layer of winter protection provides an environment around the rose bush that reduces temperature fluctuations within the root zone and canes. The goal of winter protection is to keep your plants dormant. Roses need to remain dormant so that a 3-5 day warming trend in mid-January does not induce the plants to grow as this new growth will die in the next batch of cold weather. Following the 5 steps outlined below will help you get your roses through winter and ready for a good growing season next Spring.

1) Following two hard frosts, the hybrid teas, floribundas and grandifloras can be cut back to 24-36". Rose canes are cut in the fall in order to reduce the potential of winter wind damage. Whipping of the canes can result in heaving of the rose. However, do not cut climbers, old garden roses or shrub roses. These should be cut back in the Spring.

2) After cutting the canes, the leaves are removed from the plant. It is also important to remove all old leaves and canes from the beds. Any leaves left in the bed that contain blackspot will carry the fungal spores through the winter. One way to clean you rose beds is to use a blower. If you do not have a blower, another thing to try is using a shop vacuum and placing the hose on the discharge instead of intake of the vacuum. An easy way to clean up your leaves is to blow the leaves onto your lawn and bag them up with your lawn mower. The canes need to be removed from the rose beds and disposed in a manner appropriate to your area.

3) Your rose plants are now ready for the final spray application of the season. The rose canes should be sprayed with lime sulfur or copper sulfate to kill all remaining fungus on the canes. The concentration to use is the dormant lime sulfur dosage. Spray the canes and the entire bed. Allow the beds to dry before covering the plants. I usually spray the canes two times before covering. This is the last time the roses are sprayed until spring, so be very thorough.

4) You can tie the canes with twine in order to reduce movement from high winds. It does take time, but some people think that this will lessen winter damage.

5) The plants are now ready for application of a physical protection from the elements. Oak leaves, mulch or dirt can be used to mound your rosebush. If using leaves, it is best to use oak leaves. Do not use maple leaves, since they will turn slimy when wet. The leaves can either be applied whole or chopped. Mound the plants to a height of 12-18". After all that work bid your roses a good winter's nap, and they will reward you with a healthy plant in the spring.

If you are interested in getting more information regarding enjoying your roses, consider joining the Huntington Rose Society. The Huntington Rose Society meets the third Tuesday of the month at the Central Christian Church Fellowship Hall 1202 Fifth AVE, Huntington beginning at 7:30 pm. The Society also publishes 9 issues of a newsletter that contains articles on growing and enjoying roses such as the one above. Membership is $8 for individuals and $12 for families. Checks can be made out to the Huntington Rose Society and sent to Bill Dolen Treasurer, 217 Township Rd 339, Proctorville, OH 45669.