Roses are a beautiful addition to many landscapes, and you want to be able to enjoy them for many years to come.

Some varieties will require more work then others to survive. The hardy zone 3 varieties are able to withstand our northern winters with very little effort. Tender roses such as a hybrid tea, grandiflora, floribunda, or miniature roses are not hardy enough to survive our cold weather and will need extra protection, if you want to be able to enjoy them again next year. If you want to save tender roses for next year there are a couple of different methods that can be used. Most areas have had a good frost, and now is a good time to winterize tender roses. First cut back the stems 30-35 cm from the ground as this will make it easier to winterize.

One way of winterizing is getting a pot, and cutting out the bottom. Place the pot over the rose bush so that the bush is encased. When the pot is in place, fill the pot with peat moss so that the rose bush is completely covered. Another option would be to use Styrofoam rose huts, specially designed to winterize roses. The rose huts are available at garden centres. They are placed over the trimmed rose bush and securely anchored down.

Hardy roses can also use a trim after a killing frost, by pruning back half of the new growth. The fine tune pruning happens next spring. For extra protection the crown or base of the plant can be covered with peat moss, bark or disease free leaves. Snow is also an excellent winter blanket and can be placed around the base of the plant and over the rose bush. For extra protection on all roses and plants.

Moisture is an important factor for all plants going into winter. Make sure that the soil is moist before the frost sets into the ground. If the soil is dry, you may need to get out the hose or watering can and water the roses before the frost sets in.

Roses that were planted in containers over the summer need to be either planted into the garden, pot and all, then winterized, following the above instructions, or be placed in a space where temperatures remain just above freezing such as a heated garage, so that the rose remains dormant throughout the winter.

In the spring when temperatures have warmed up and you can see that plants are beginning to come out of dormancy, remove the protective winter covering and water the rose if it needs moisture. Once the rose begins to show signs of life it can be pruned and cared for, by following the spring care for roses.
-Jos

Jos Van Hage owns and operates two Art Knapp Home and Garden Centres in Prince George:
Highway 16 west at Kimball Road
Highway 97 North at Northwood Pulpmill Road