Winterising Roses

It is very important to winterise your roses in order for them to get a good start in the spring. In some cases it may be the difference between life or death for the rose. Winterising roses will at the very least reduce the damage that winter will do to the plant.

Roses are not winter growers. Therefore you must try to prevent them from growing in the winter. They will sometimes get confused by a warm sunny spell and begin to sprout new shoots thinking that is is spring. Usually the new growth is killed or severely damaged in the very next frost. Though if you have mild winters it may survive for a time and even flower. This growth is seldom strong and should not be encouraged.

Your roses should be pruned back well before the start of winter. How much you prune will vary from plant to plant, depending on the type of rose you have. As a general rule however cutting it back to about three feet should be ok. Leave only about five of the strongest canes to grow next season.

Remove all leaves from the plant. If the rose does not shed them itself, they can become a point of entry for infection in the rest of the plant.

If there are any roots near to or sticking up from the surface of the soil, it is a good idea to raise the soil in the area by an inch or two. Then mulch the roses with leafmould or compost from your compost heap. Some people use sawdust or wood chips, but I thing that they take too much nitrogen from the soil.

To winterise climbing roses, remove them from their support structures or lattices or whatever they are growing on. Dig a trench beside the plant and loosen the soil around the plant. Tip the rose into the trench and cover it with the soil you just dug out. Hide the plant completely from view.

If you are not in a position to dig a trench, gather the tips together and tie them. They should then be wrapped in straw or a loose weave cloth. The base should be covered with at least 10 inches of soil and compost or mulch to protect the rose from the worst of the winter frost and ice.

If the ground is likely to freeze hard and stay that way for the entire winter or at least long stretches of it, water the roses well before the freeze to make sure that the rose's deep roots can reach water when it needs it.

Recommended Hardy Roses:

Agnes
Ballerina
Belle Poitevine
Blanc Double de Coubert
Captain Samuel Holland(climbing)
Chuckles
Flower Carpet
Frau Dagmar Hartopp
L.D. Braithwaite
Nearly Wild
R. primula

Most roses of the class Species are hardy and easily grown.

Winterising roses is not difficult, but it is necessary if you want to get the best out of your roses.

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