Rose Gardening During Winter

Winter is a time of rest, of purification, and potential disaster for your rose garden. Old garden roses and own-root species are generally hardy enough to make it through the winter unscathed. However, the more fragile varieties, such as hybrid teas and budded roses, can succumb to the harsh climate, if not properly protected.

Preparing for winter should begin when you're making your rose selections. When you're admiring the on-line selections, visiting your local home and garden store, or browsing slick catalogs, be sure your choices are capable of withstanding the coldest temperatures your geographic region can potentially deliver. When possible, refer to the area's "hardiness zone map" before making your purchases.

The key to roses surviving the winter is to force them into total dormancy. By mid-August, stop applying fertilizer, beginning in early October stop dead heading and cutting flowers. Allow the hips to form to further promote dormancy.

If you take the time to properly prepare them, healthy roses, have a very good chance of surviving the winter season. Before you begin covering your roses for the winter, take time to prune back the taller bushes. Avoid doing a thorough pruning. You'll want to cut back the dead and diseased canes in the spring. This is also a good time to tie the canes together. This effort will protect them from being damaged by forceful winter winds.

"Hilling" is a very common winter protection process. All you do is pile loose, clean and well-drained soil or compost around and over the rose bushes until you reach a depth of approximately 10 to 12 inches. Be sure that whatever soil or compost material you apply is completely dry. Use only cold and dry soil for a winter covering. Once the soil mound has frozen completely, you can cover it with leaves, hay, or evergreen branches.

In extremely cold regions, your job is to keep the bushes frozen throughout the entire winter, to prevent them from repeatedly entering cycles of freeze/thaw/freeze. With that in mind, don't cover your plants too early. Wait until the first hard frost has struck and the leaves begin to dry up and fall off. This is a good time to remove ground foliage and garden debris from around the plant base that may contain diseases and insects that will also hibernate during the winter, then reviving in spring to feed on your roses.

After you've put your garden lovingly to bed for the winter, take some time care for your garden tools. Clean and sharpen your equipment before storing them for the season. Come spring and you'll be all ready to get going.

As the days grow shorter and the nights longer and colder, you can sit back comfortable with your feet up, poised in front of a glowing fire and start making new selections from your favorite catalogs and web sites.