fall and winter rose tips

As of late October, it is time to sit back and enjoy your beautiful fall blooms. You will find that autumn roses last a long time in a vase, have stronger fragrances, and are richly colored. This is because they take longer to develop and are loaded with sugar.

Try not to cut all your roses, however. My grandsons and I love this time of year because they are allowed to pull off the petals and scatter them to the wind like giant confetti. The purpose behind this is that if the roses are allowed to produce a few “hips” (seed pockets), they start producing a winter hormone that pulls the sap deep within the canes to toughen them for the winter to come.

I generally stop spraying this time of year, but I continue to water deeply so my roses will go into their dormancy well hydrated.

Now is NOT the time to prune your roses back, because we don’t want to stimulate a lot of new growth at this time of year. Instead, that energy should stay within the plant to stimulate growth next spring.

After Thanksgiving, cut your bush roses (hybrid teas, grandifloras, floribundas, and minis) to about 18-24 inches. (I call this “gross pruning,” because there’s nothing fancy about it. We will “fine prune” in the spring when growth commences.)

After pruning, bury your bush roses with shredded pine bark mulch, forming a mound over the plant. In extremely cold and windy areas, it’s a good idea to cover the rose with a styrofoam rose cone. Just pop it on, put a big rock or brick on the top, and your rose is winterized. Rose cones are not for sheltered areas, however, because the sunlight can cause excessive heat inside the cone. Remember that we winterize our roses to keep them cold so they don’t break dormancy during winter thaws. Remember also, yellow roses have a tendency to be more winter tender than others. Make sure you cover them well.

Shrub roses need to be cut back a bit so their canes don’t act like a sail in winter gales. First-year shrubs should be mounded with mulch, but in ensuing years should get by just fine with no protection. Same story for first-year climbers. Mound them up, and tie up any unruly canes. Do not prune climbers in the fall. Wrap the canes of first-year climbers with burlap for protection. After the first year, protection may not be necessary.

When you’re finished winterizing, say “good night,” wash your hands, and enjoy your holidays. Now you’ll have all winter to sharpen your tools, read rose catalogs, and dream about spring!