How to Protect Roses in Cold Climates: A Comprehensive Guide for Winterizing

Protecting your beloved roses from the harsh winter conditions is crucial to ensure they survive and thrive the following spring. This comprehensive guide outlines four effective methods to winterize your roses in a cold climate.

Pruning Roses Before Wintern

Proper pruning is essential for the health and longevity of your roses in cold climates. This involves several steps and techniques to prepare your roses for the upcoming winter season.

Reducing Water and Fertilizer

Begin preparing your roses for winter by reducing water and fertilizer intake six weeks before the first frost. This technique is commonly used by rose gardeners and helps the plant naturally harden off.

To check your frost dates: Enter your zipcode at Almanac to find your first and last frost dates.

Allowing the Plant to Harden Off

Starting around August, stop deadheading or clipping any blooms to allow the plant to naturally harden off. This means letting the plant develop tough growth-like hips and seed pods, which will help the plant withstand the winter.

Note for Southern Hemisphere: Early fall in the Southern Hemisphere occurs in March.

Timing Pruning

Timing is crucial for effective pruning. Wait until most or all of the leaves fall and the canes turn a bit off-color before starting. Once the temperature has consistently stayed around 20°F (-7°C) for 3-4 days, you can prune and begin preparing to winterize your roses.

Pruning Technique

With clean, sharp pruning shears, make a cut at a 45° angle about 0.25 in (0.64 cm) above an outward-facing bud. Prune back any long canes to about 5 ft (1.5 m) to prevent them from rocking and breaking in the wind. Remove any dead or damaged stems or branches, but do not clip back any other healthy growth.

While optional, trimming them this short may help your roses look neat.

Hilling Rose Bushes

Use the hilling technique on hybrid tea roses, grandifloras, and floribundas. This involves insulating and covering the rose bush to keep it frozen and protected from the sunlight and wind.

Selecting Soil

Bring in well-drained soil from outside your garden. Avoid scraping up the soil around the plant, as this can damage the root system and decrease the plant’s chances of survival. Instead, use bagged well-drained topsoil from a local gardening or home improvement store. You can also use compost or straw as an alternative.

Creating a Mound

Use a shovel to pile 1 ft (30 cm) of soil around the base of the plant. Continue adding soil until the canes are covered with a small mound about 1 ft (30 cm) high and 1 ft (30 cm) wide. If you use compost, add another 6 in (15 cm) of compost or straw to the top and sides of the hill.

Securing the Mound

To prevent soil, mulch, or straw from blowing away, add a layer of gutter screening, chicken wire, a commercial collar, or several layers of newspapers folded in half. This will hold everything in place and ensure proper insulation over the winter.

Spring Clearance

In the spring, once the ground starts to thaw, carefully remove the securing layer and slowly pull back the soil, mulch, or straw mound. Spread it around the garden using a rake.

First thaw date: Use the Almanac to find your first thaw date based on your zipcode.

Bundling and Wrapping Climbing Roses

For climbing roses, bundle and tie 2-3 canes together for support against the wind. Secure the canes with zip ties or cotton string, ensuring the ties are loose to avoid abrasion.

Adding Insulation

Wrap the bundles with dry straw and then burlap. Secure the burlap with twine or wire to keep everything in place.

Hilling Technique

Use the hilling technique to protect the plant's roots and crown. Pile up 1 ft (30 cm) of well-drained soil or compost around the base. Add 6 in (15 cm) more to the top and sides of the mound if compost is used. As the compost decomposes, the level will go down.

Winterizing Other Rose Varieties

Mini Roses

Mini roses don’t require much protection. Once completely dormant, cover the sides and tops with dried leaves. Make sure the leaves are dry to prevent disease and mold.

Shrub Roses

For taller shrub roses, stuff leaves and straw around and through the branches. Wrap a length of burlap around the entire bush and tie it with twine. Alternatively, use chicken wire to make a collar or cage around the roses.

Spring Clearance

In the spring when the ground thaws, gently unwrap coverings or pull out any stuffed-in leaves or straw to end the plants' dormancy.

Container Roses

In colder climates, move container roses indoors before the first frost. The indoor temperature should stay between 25 to 40°F (4 to 4°C) during the winter. Once the ground thaws out, you can bring your container roses back outside. If your climate doesn’t get very cold, you can leave them in a sheltered corner outside.

Timing

The exact timing for de-winterizing depends on your region. Most gardeners de-winterize around early April, while in the Southern Hemisphere, it's likely to be closer to October.