Winterizing Roses (Preparation and End of Season)

Winterizing your roses using the tips and tricks explored here will help give your rose(s) a good chance of surviving a harsh winter.

Why should you winterize your roses to begin with?  It offers protection and insulation:

• Protection from sun and wind damage, from chewing animals, and from pests which may try to make a winter home in or on the plant.
• Insulation against wildly fluctuating and/or extreme temperatures.
• Limits the temperature fluctuation with the freeze and thaw cycles throughout the winter months.

Keep in mind that a healthy rose is a hardier rose.
Apply Bayer All-in-One (available at K&W Greenery) throughout the growing season.  This is a fertilizer, insect control, and disease control "all in one" application, and it should not be used on Rugosa roses.  We recommend applications on April 15, June 1, and July 15.  You'll be best served to not use it any later than September first.
By August 30th, you should stop removing spent blooms (deadheading).  Allowing the hips to form helps the rose to "slow down" in preparation for dormancy.

As the season draws to a close:

• Rake up and destroy fallen rose leaves.  Black Spot and other leaf diseases can over-winter with your roses.
• DO NOT prune except for dead, injured, or diseased canes.  Pruning stimulates new growth that will be too weak to survive winter.
• Use Mother Nature, not the calendar as your cue to begin protection using your method of choice.  Rarely take protective steps before Thanksgiving, usually closer to Christmas.

In following posts, we'll talk about when and how to prune as well as when and how to protect your cherished roses.

For answers anytime, call the helpful K&W Greenery staff at 608-752-8917 during regular business hours.