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Caring for pruned rose bushes over winter

10 years ago

Hello.... would someone be willing to explain the best way to care for rose bushes after pruning them down for the winter. Here, for the most part, the winters are mild. Most of the time it does not get much below 40 degrees. We have had an unusually cold Fall and early winter, though.
We've had a few nights that have gotten as low as 36 degrees. If mulching is necessary ,, what kind and how does one do it ?
Thank you

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Comments (8)

dublinbay z6 (KS)
10 years ago
I would do nothing to care for rose bushes in the winter except to very occasionally water them if the winter has been dry.

No self-respecting rose even blinks if the temps go down to 36 degrees. Now if your temps were to go down to 16 degrees, that might concern me a bit--but our winter temps in Zone 6 have gone down to 0 degrees and I have never lost a rose to winter temps. (The only protection my roses get is randomly blowing leaves from my neighbors' oak trees--not much protection at all, in other words.)

Kate
diane_nj 6b/7a
10 years ago
What Kate said. Nothing. Nada. No mulching (may cause canker), no wrapping, no nothing. A passing pat on the head every once in awhile.
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roksee
Original Author
10 years ago
thanks very much....I feel better now cause thats exactly what I was doing.
roksee
Original Author
10 years ago
I'm wondering if you have different advise if the bushes are planted in large containers, I have some of those too.
dublinbay z6 (KS)
10 years ago
I don't really know much about container growing, but I'd still maintain that if we are talking about 36 degrees, there still is not any problem.

Kate
hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
10 years ago
water every once in a while. Damp soil is good. Dried up soil is hard on them even if they are leafless.
seil zone 6b MI
10 years ago
In your zone container roses shouldn't need any type of protection. IF the temps are going to go WAY below freezing, like the teens, you might want to put them in a garage for that time. Otherwise just leave them alone except for the occasional watering if there is no rain. Watering is the most important thing. Roses will die from dehydration more than from cold really.
roksee
Original Author
10 years ago
ok... but it is ok that I pruned them just like I did to my roses in ground?

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