Fall Rose Care Tips

Mid-November is the right time to get your roses ready for winter. Most of the winter damage to roses and perennials comes from temperature fluctuations, dry winds and lack of moisture. It's not uncommon for winter daytime temperatures to be surprisingly warm, followed by very cold nights.

Freezing night time temperatures followed by thawing out during the day can affect the soil around your roses and cause root and graft damage. There are three things to do now. First, make sure your roses are well hydrated, so give them a good drink of water. Plants with dry roots suffer more in cold temperatures than plants with wet roots.

Second, prune back canes to about 24" to 30". Prune to the outward bud, so that future growth is toward the outside, away from the center of the bush.

Make sure your pruners are sharp.

Dull pruners will crush the cane rather than cut it. Save any major pruning until spring. Clean up leaves and debris especially if you had problems with rust or black spot this season.

Third, mulch your roses to keep the ground cold and stable. Adding mulch at this time helps stabilize the soil temperature and prevent damage due to the freeze/thaw cycle. Mulching also helps prevent moisture loss. Roses that have been watered well and then mulched stand a better chance of surviving the winter than roses with dry roots. Choose a mulch that will stay in place through the winter. Cedar mulch and Gorilla Hair mulch are two good choices. Pile mulch 8" to 10" deep around the base of the rose. 

Rose collars can also be used to help keep mulch in place.

Place the rose collar around the rose, fasten it and fill with a mulch.

Soil Pep is a good choice for filling rose collars. For climbing roses, follow the same procedure; clean up around the base of the rose, water well and mulch. Don't prune climbers at this time. You can secure the canes to their trellis or bundle the canes together and wrap them with burlap for protection.

A simple way to prevent winter wind damage is to use an anti-desiccant such as Wilt-Pruf. Applying Wilt-Pruf in the fall will help preserve moisture in your roses, through the winter.  One more important winter task is to water your roses every 4-5 weeks. Pick a nice day above 45 and water your roses, trees and perennials thoroughly.