How to prepare Rose Bushes for winter?

Question

I planted 2 rose bushes this past spring and they were beautiful. I would like to know if I should trim them back and how do I protect them from below 0* climate?

Answer 1

Cut them back to stubs, put mulch over them. If you don't cut them back, they will get really leggy & not bloom as much next year.

Answer 2

You don't say what kind of roses you have. In any case, don't add extra mulch or burlap until after the plant has gone dormant and most of the leaves have fallen. In my area I prep my roses in late October to early November depending on the weather.

If they are rugosas or old fashioned shrub roses, they don't need much protection. If they are newly planted (within the last month or two), you will want to add a layer of mulch around the base, after the ground has frozen and you can wrap them in burlap. If they were planted in the spring then you don't have to do much to them. If they are hybrid teas, this is what I do. First, you should have made sure that the bud union was planted below the soil line. If it's not, then pile some compost around that bud union and about 3" above the base of the plant, then mulch with shredded leaves. You can now wrap burlap around them and secure with twine.

I usually do not prune my roses until spring when you start to see the buds swell on the canes. Most roses have some die back anyway, so it's better if it's on the long old canes. If you cut them in the fall then they may die back all the way to the base and the rose may have trouble coming back.

It's really important to know what kind of rose you have as the winter prep can be slightly different based on the plant and where you live. So I recommend doing a Yahoo search based on that information.

Answer 3

I am with mr. thumbs up,,,,,lived in Michigan most of my life and I trimmed back my rose bushes every fall and if they are baby plants (less than a year) wrap them loosely and then make sure they get uncovered when the weather starts to warm up or you get bacteria and diseases on the leaves.

Answer 4

All you have to do is cover the root base with a mound of mulch or straw. Some people like to put buckets or barrels over the bush to protect it from snow also.
cut back next February or early March, just before it starts to grow again.

Answer 5

first you need to cut the rose bushes up to 12 inches above ground..get some chicken wire and put it around the bushes...then fill the chicken wire with leafes or strow. (I will choose srtow) when the danger of frost is over uncover the bushes and they will grow as beautiful as they were before

Answer 6

I'm in zone 5 (Indiana) and I clip mine back to the first split on each branch at an angle. One of mine has survived 7 years doing that every year.

Answer 7

You wrap them up in burlap, then dig a hole to the side of the bushes and fold them over into that hole and bury them for the winter. Then pile leaves over the spot where you buried them. This will keep them warm and they won't freeze to death.