Tucking Your Roses In for the Winter

“The fragrance always stays in the hand that gives the rose” Hada Bejar

Yes!! Beautiful Fall is here and it’s time to enjoy the last of our summer roses and think about getting them ready for winter.  Following these tips will ensure beautiful roses next spring.

GATHER YOUR TOOLS:

1. 1. Gloves: I suggest you use leather, gauntlet style or rose gloves to protect hands and forearms.
   2. Clothing: You may want to wear long sleeves to protect you from the thorns.
   3. Shears and Loppers: Bypass blades are recommended because they make a clean cut and won’t damage or crush your canes.
   4. Securing Plants: Flexible tie tape or twine for securing plants.
   5. Disinfectant: Bucket with 10% bleach to clean any tools which come in contact with plants.
   6. Cleanup Equipment: Rake and shovel and bucket or whatever you wish to use for cleaning up debris under your rose plants.

PRE-WINTERIZING YOUR ROSE BEDS:  Taking care of our rose plants now will ensure our rose garden next year will be beautiful and full of blooms!  There is not a lot to do, but here are the few things to focus on. 

TEA AND BUSH ROSES:

1. 1. Around the end of September, stop deadheading and let the rosehips develop on your roses.
   2. Continue to water your roses.
   3. Cleanup all debris under your rose plants to prevent disease and remove any remaining leaves that were infected with powdery mildew or black spot.
   4. Remove and destroy virus infected rose plants.
   5. Prune out any dead or diseased canes on otherwise healthy plants. Prune tall roses down to 4 to 5 feet to protect them from wind damage.
   6. Do not put diseased debris in your compost pile.
   7. To protect tender rose plants from winter cold temperatures, mount loose mulch over the base of the plants. Mulch provides insulation for some protection from the cold.

CLIMBING ROSES:

1. 1. As with tea and bush roses, do not prune heavily in late autumn.
   2. Stop deadheading and let the rosehips develop.
   3. Be sure to securely tie long canes so they will not be damaged in the wind, ice, and rain.
   4. Try to remove as many remaining leaves as possible with powdery mildew or black spot. This is hard with a climber but just give it a little shake and most of them will fall.
   5. Cleanup all debris under the climbing rose to prevent disease.
   6. Do not put diseased debris in your compost pile.
   7. Mulch the base of your climbing rose to protect it from cold temperatures.

Done Winterizing!

Finally, check new catalogs (as you get them this winter) for new roses to add to your garden next year!