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Fall and Winter Care for Roses

© Susan Ward

While some gardeners avoid roses like plague, swearing that they never want to work that hard, roses are no more trouble than many other perennials, and not as finicky as people think. The reason that so many people think of roses as such hard work is that with roses, you need to pay attention. A rose isn't one of those plants you can just take home, stick in the ground any old place, and expect to do well. (But truly, are there any plants like this?) In "Roses for Thanksgiving", I wrote about the importance of picking the right roses to begin with, and some of the maintenance chores that should be done throughout the summer and fall to keep your roses blooming.

Fall is another season when roses demand attention; it's the time to clean up and winterize. These aren't backbreaking chores, especially if you stick to the simple plan, like I do.

First, in late fall, (normally around the end of October here, if the weather cooperates), I clean up around the roses, trying to make sure that I've picked up all the rose debris, including stripping any leaves with any sign of black spot off the canes. (You need to dispose of this material off-site; if you put it into your compost pile, you're just breeding trouble down the road.)

Then I winterize my roses following the AARS method. (All-America Rose Selections is a non-profit association of rose growers and introducers dedicated to the introduction and promotion of exceptional roses. This is the method the association uses in their many show gardens around the U.S. Their short article on " Winter Protection" includes diagrams.)

I cut the plants back to about 24 inches (if they're two years old or older), removing any obvious dieback, and tie the canes together for wind protection. Then I mound fresh dirt or compost around the base of each rose, forming a pile about four inches deep around each rose.

That's it. See how simple it can be? In the spring when the roses start growing again, I carefully remove the mounds of soil from around the bases of the roses, and prune out any winter-damaged canes.

The Canadian Rose Society is another non-profit organization that provides information on selecting, growing, and caring for roses. They provide information on winter protection for the different Canadian climate zones; "Winter Protection Zones 7-9", "Winter Protection Zones 5-6", and "Winter Protection Zones 2-4". Each article includes a list of roses most suitable for that particular climate range.

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