When preparing your garden for winter, one of the most important tasks is to winterize your roses. They’re fragile and have a tendency to suffer during long cold winters.
There are a few things you can do during the growing season to make sure your roses are able to survive a harsh winter. First, choose the most winter hardy roses available for your area to plant in your garden. Properly caring for your roses will encourage health plants which are more capable of surviving winter than plants which are weak and struggling. Reduce stress on roses going into the dormant season by watering adequately in late autumn. Also, avoid fertilizing late in the season as this will encourage new growth which is susceptible to freezing temperatures.
Hybrid Teas, grandifloras and floribundas should be protected from winter damage after a killing frost but before the soil freezes. Reduce breakage of tall canes by winter winds by cutting them back to 30 to 36 inches. Remove dead and fallen leaves around the plants. Mound soil over the center of the plants to about 12 inches high and 12 inches wide. Cover the soil mounds with a mulch of salt marsh hay, straw or boughs. You can also use all pine bark mulch instead of soil, mounded to 15 to 18 inches.
In extremely cold environments cover the rose bush with a protective cylinder. stuff salt marsh hay or leaves inside the cylinder to insulate the rose inside. Puncture several one inch holes around the top of the cone for air circulation.
To prepare climbing roses for winter remove them from their support, lay them on the ground and cover them with 3 inches of soil. Cover the base of the climbing rose with 10 inches of soil. If the roses are not flexible enough to lay on the ground, tie the stems together and wrap with burlap.
In spring remove most of the mulch and soil from around the bases of plants. You may leave a 2-inch layer of mulch in the bed.
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