Want to help your rose bushes this fall to get them through winter and come back strong next spring? The care you give them in the fall can make a big difference – but so can knowing which chores to leave for later!
As cooler weather arrives, rose bushes begin slowing down and preparing for dormancy. Instead of encouraging more growth, your goal is to help them settle in for winter. Cleaning up fallen, diseased leaves, watering during dry spells and protecting their base once cold weather settles in can all help your roses weather the season ahead.
But when it comes to fall rose care in regions with cold winters, there are two chores to avoid – heavy pruning and fertilizing. Both can encourage tender new growth when warm weather lingers. That growth may not have enough time to harden off before freezing temperatures arrive, leaving it especially vulnerable to winter damage.
Heavy pruning also removes canes that could otherwise be left until spring, when you can better see what survived winter. Although broken or diseased branches may need attention, save major shaping and feeding for the appropriate growing season. This fall, a little cleanup and well-timed protection can do far more for your roses than cutting them back or giving them one last dose of fertilizer!
What Rose Bushes Need In The Fall
Why To Avoid Pruning
Whether you grow hybrid roses, climbing roses, or shrub roses, pruning should be kept to the bare minimum in the fall. Excessive pruning is dangerous to roses in the fall – and will leave them vulnerable to all kinds of winter damage.
When you prune a rose during any part of the growing season, the plant will attempt to regrow and fill out. And if you prune in the fall, as long as the weather stays warm enough, the bush will grow tender new foliage.
That new growth is dangerous because it puts the plant at risk of freezing out as winter hits full force. It’s okay to remove a few straggling or damaged branches in the fall, but you should save any major pruning for when the plant is in full dormancy in late winter. See: How To Prune Rose Bushes Before Spring – Get Your Roses Ready To Bloom!
One other note on pruning – if you happen to have a newly planted rose, don’t prune at all the first year. Newly planted rose bushes do not have extensive roots and are the most vulnerable of all. Instead, allow new roses to keep all of their branches and stems to strengthen their resources with another full year of growing.
Why To Avoid Fertilizing Rose Bushes In The Fall
In addition to excessive pruning, fertilizing should always be avoided in the fall as well. This same advice actually applies to nearly all perennial plants growing in your landscape.
Fertilizing plants too late in the growing season can fool plants into a new growth mode. Just as with pruning, the tender late growth is easily susceptible to winter damage as the temperature drops. To be safe, stop all fertilizing in mid-August to avoid potential late season growth. See our article: When & How To Fertilize Your Rose Bushes
So what should you be doing for your roses in the fall? The key to success all lies with getting them protected before the cold of winter arrives! As for how to protect them – it will all depend on two main factors. And those two are the variety of roses you are growing, and your climate.
How To Prepare & Protect Rose Bushes For Winter
What To Do With Shrub Roses
Shrub roses are the easiest of all to care for and require little preparation for winter. Once a few frosts have put the plant into full dormancy, remove the leaves that have fallen to the ground. These can overwinter insects and disease, and it’s best to get them away from the plant.
Finish by applying a few inches of compost around the base of the shrub. Unless you live in an ultra-cold winter environment, no additional protection is needed.
What To Do With Climbing Rose Bushes In The Fall
Climbing roses need more protection against the wind than anything. Their canes can easily sustain damage from strong winds or heavy ice and snow.
The best way to protect a climbing rose is to remove the canes from the trellis and tie around them with a wire or rope to hold the canes together. Next, lay the canes down on the ground and apply a four to six inch layer of mulch to protect them over winter.
If this is not possible due to the size or location, at least tie the canes together to the structure. This will help support them through winter. In addition, mound a solid 6″ to 8″ layer of sawdust or wood chips around the base.
What To Do With Hybrid & Tea Rose Bushes In The Fall
Hybrid and tea roses, along with climbing roses require a bit more help to make it through winter unscathed. As with the shrub roses, begin by removing any leaves that have fallen and gathered around the bush.
Next, apply a 6″ to 8″ layer of mulch or sawdust around the base of the shrub, being careful to cover any grafts or unions at the base of the plant. These are the most vulnerable of all to winter damage. Do not mound up existing mulch from around the plant for this task.
This can expose roots of the bush and put them at risk through the winter. Instead, use additional mulch or sawdust to cover. If you live in an area with extremely cold winters, plant covers are the way to go to keep your roses safe. Affiliate Product Link: Lesiyou 4 Packs Reusable Plant Covers with Drawstring for Winter Frost Protection
These, in addition to mounding saw dust or mulch over the crown and base can add an extra layer of protection. Always be sure to remove any cover as spring nears to allow the rose bush to grow freely.
Here is to giving your rose bushes the care they need this fall. And even more, to helping them survive winter and thrive next spring and summer! Happy Gardening, Jim & Mary.
The Farm @ Old World Garden
Jim and Mary Competti have been writing gardening, DIY and recipe articles and books for over 16 years from their 46 acre Ohio farm. The two are frequent speakers on all things gardening and love to travel in their spare time.
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