Rose is one of the most popular garden plants. In winter, however, you must protect them. Here are 6 tips on how to overwinter roses.
Roses need to be packed well
Roses are not only cultivated in numerous colors and with intoxicating scents, but also in many different forms, such as:
- Bush Rose
- Brunch Rose
- Shrub and climbing rose
- Wild Rose
- pot rose
However, as late autumn slowly approaches (approx. mid-November), each rose must be packed in winter-hardy packaging so that its shoots do not freeze and they can unfold their full splendor again in the coming spring and summer. A complete winter coat also protects the roses from the winter sun, which could otherwise easily irritate them. Here are our tips to help your roses get through the winter.
Overwintering roses - 6 tips for the cold season
Tip 1 - pruning of roses
Under no circumstances should the rose be pruned if freezing temperatures are to be expected during the night. The last pruning of roses (removing withered flowers) should be done immediately after their flowering. Best in late summer or very early in autumn.
If the rose bushes have to be shaped, then you should only do this cut in the spring.
Tip 2 - pile up the trunk
In late autumn you should pile up the rose trunk (of bush roses, standard roses and climbing roses) with soil to a height of about 10 to 20 centimetres. Use well loosened soil for this, but no compost.
You can also optimize this pile up with leaves, moss and brushwood. To do this, rake up the leaves that have fallen off the trees and spread them around the rose bush so that as little frost as possible can penetrate to the roots - alternatively, straw is also suitable for this.
You can also cut twigs from coniferous trees and wrap them around the perennial roses - possibly carefully fix them to the trunk with raffia cords. In this way, the entire rose bush is well protected in winter - this method can also be used for standard roses.
Tip 3 - wrap jute
Stem roses and climbing roses in particular often require an additional onewinter protection, for which primarily jute cloths or jute bags are well suited. Put this as loosely as possible over the rose crown and lightly fix (tie together) to the stem - below the grafting point. The use of jute is recommended because this natural material is permeable to air and thus prevents condensation from forming under the rose protection.
Tip 4 - Fertilizing
Under no circumstances should you fertilize roses again after the end of July. Because the strong growth that is triggered in this way, which is often expressed in tender shoots, would freeze again immediately with the first frost. Also, many roses bloom again due to late fertilization and in turn, removing wilted flowers can only be done much too late in time. The rose is often completely damaged in this way.
Tip 5 - Pot plants
If you have planted your roses in tubs, you can overwinter the tubs in a sheltered, but never heated room ( then water from time to time). If you want to leave your potted roses outside, then you have to coat the pots accordingly for winter. For this purpose, the garden trade offers suitable rose protection covers made of special non-woven fabrics for different sizes. You can also put the rose crown on yourself with jute. You should also cover the pot with a raffia mat. You can use these again and again every year.
Tip 6 - Remove winter protection
In spring, however, the winter protection must be removed thoroughly so that the rose can develop optimally. The flowering of the forsythia is considered the ideal time for removal.