Rose Tips by Al Karsten
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Rose Tips
October 2001
Late October until Thanksgiving weekend is the time frame to mulch roses for the winter. As a general rule, I do not cut my roses back in late fall. I wait until around April 15th of the following year. Cutting back at that time also takes care of winter damage. Some people do cut back to around 36 inches in the fall. That is okay except for certain climbers as you may be cutting off next year's blooms. I recommend cutting back climbers only when they are out of control. You may lose blooms if you cut climbers prematurely.
Before mulching the rose bushes, sufficient water should be applied - one inch of water per bush so the roots will not dry out by the end of December. Perhaps we will have sufficient rainfall in October to save you the time. If not, water.... If we have a dry winter with little moisture or snow, roses should be watered on a mild (above freezing) day in early January. Repeat before the end of March. Many times we lose roses because moisture is lacking during the dormant period. As I have mentioned before in my articles, roses require lot of water (though not as much during dormancy).
Mound your rose bushes with tree leaves, pine needles (remove needles in spring as too many would promote an acid soil), hay, evergreen boughs - to a depth of 12" or more. If you have a chipper to cut up your tree leaves, it will be to your advantage. Once the mulch has been put down cover it with about 13 pounds (1/3 of a 40 pound bag) of dried cow manure or compost soil from a nursery or hardware store.
If you have a tree rose or a miniature rose in a container, bring it in to your garage or a protected area. Some sunlight is needed.
It is not necessary to mulch the once bloomers (in the spring) as they are hardy. The repeat bloomers of the old garden roses do require some winter protection in colder climates.
If you do not have too many roses, I suggest you remove all the rose leaves on each bush in late fall. Also, clean up all old leaves in the rose bed. Do not put any diseased leaves in your compost bin.
It is too late to fertilize your roses with a granular fertilizer. Wait until middle of next April. Spraying your roses this late in the season is not beneficial as we probably have had frost.
Next April you will have new growth and healthy, disease free, leaves on the new canes.
Be sure to clean out your garden sprayer before storing for the season. Store chemicals to eliminate the effects of extreme cold. Clean and sharpen garden tools so you will be ready to start "work" again around April 15th. Do not let the warm early days of April invite you out into the garden to work. We always have some frost around the middle of April.
I hope it has been a profitable rose growing season for you - with many roses to bring into the home or to share with neighbors and friends.
Get your roses for next year ordered early so you get the ones you want and do not have to settle for substitutes.
Rose Books from Amazon.com
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