Prepping Roses for Winter
I always get melancholy when it comes time to prep my roses for winter. Think about all the joy my roses have given me throughout the season. The proliferation of color arrangements I created, and the aroma released throughout the house. Always appreciate that there is a lengthy period between the beginning of the rose winterization period and the last of the season roses. This appreciation helps wean me off my season. And because North and South Carolina have a more extended growing season than other zones, one can enjoy roses throughout November. The process starts well before the first winter’s frost cloaks the rose bushes and prepares the plants for dormancy. Each year, during the last week of August or the first week of September, around Labor Day, is a good marker date for the first winterizing steps.
Winterizing Step
Winterizing is a process done to protect the roses for the next season’s growth. Hardy garden roses need less prep. Roses sold in this region are often hardy enough to sustain our Carolina winters. However, it is important to research their hardiness zone when purchasing roses from out-of-state nurseries or online stores. Extreme cold freezes in this region can damage Roses. Canes can be damaged, broken, or worse, die off. The effects of damage to the plant, where the plant’s health was severely damaged during the previous winter, might not be recognized until the next season of hot, difficult weather conditions. A weakened rose might never reach its potential and will always have more difficulty fending off disease and pests, or it may suffer tissue damage with warmer temperatures. Picking the right rose for the area is a top consideration for its ability to survive through the winter and a good winterization procedure.
Western Carolina Roses
For my Western Carolina roses, I start by placing Rose-Tone granular organic rose food on each rose. It includes potash, derived from the harvest of potassium, which is used to encourage water retention in plants and disease resistance. Adding potash to the soil helps promote more abundant flowers next season and increases the plant’s health throughout the winter. It also offers a high ash content, which sets up the plants for winter. Sprinkle the granules around each plant to the widest branch, then scratch the food into the top 1” of soil. For individual roses, use 1-1/4 cups of Rose-Tone per plant. Rose-Tone is also a rose fertilizer and contains nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. This is the last time I fertilize my roses for the season. In early October, clean up around the roses to remove old mulch, fallen leaves, and debris to avoid disease infection in the following season. If the fall season is dry, water the roses well, leading into the winter. This helps settle the soil and keeps the canes and roots in good shape while ensuring any added elements or chemicals have leached into the soil.
Adding Gypsum and Calcium Sulfate
I also add gypsum and calcium sulfate, a naturally occurring mineral, to my winterization process. This is especially good for breaking up the Triad Region’s compacted clay soil. You can also benefit from using gypsum to change the texture of heavy traffic areas and compacted areas from flooding or over-cropping. You will want to use a product with gypsum if you are expanding your rose garden for the next season or starting a new rose garden somewhere else in your yard.
I use mushroom compost around the roses after removing the older material, but you can also use a pine or hardwood mix. Cover the graft union with about 5-6” of pine, mushroom compost, or hardwood mulch for the Western Carolina roses. The base of tender rose bushes can be either be mounded with 10″ to 12″ of quality soil. If. the rose is grafted this is particularly important. The new source of can growth comes a bud union; if it is damaged over winter, the plant may be lost. Also, cover the center of the plant with fresh mulch.
The Last Step
The last step of the process is cutting back your roses after a few fall frosts, usually by the end of November or early part of December. It is important not to cut back your roses too early since they go through their chemical process of becoming semi-dormant, which is critical for helping the plant get through the winter months. Cut the roses down to help protect the canes from breakage due to ice accumulation or high winds. Prune only to 36” high while removing damaged canes, branches, or leaves. Heavy pruning occurs in February.
Conclussion
These simple winterizing steps will help prepare your roses for surviving and thriving the following season. The rest is up to Mother Nature and Jack Frost. If you are lucky, you won’t have any rose loss, but if we have a few deep freezes, you can expect a few roses not to make it through the winter. I have been known to cover my roses during big ice storms with a few blankets. I can’t promise that this strategy will keep you from losing them during an intense freeze, but if you love roses as much as I do, blanket coverage is worth the time.
Winterizing Roses | Blog Article | T-Squared Landscape and Design | All Rights Reserved | Greenville SC