Here in No California all we do for Winter is to cut back a bit and tie up stray canes on our huge climbers, to make them less susceptible to wind damage. One winter 15 years ago three three story high climbers were knocked off our house in 100 mile per hour winds. We ended up with a pile of roses in the driveway that was 8 feet high and 30 feet long, so of course we couldn't get any of our cars out. Luckily the main canes were not broken, and after massive emergency pruning, my DH managed to tie them all back up on the house, and the bloom that next Spring was fantastic!

That's about it - we are so warm in the WInter (average highs in the F 50s & 60s) that there is no cold damage, ever. No snow at all, and if the overnight temp reaches freezing it makes it onto the front page headlines of the newspaper. We do average 40 inches of rain between Nov and March, so when we first moved in here we did have to improve the drainage on our entire property. We are only 6 feet above sea level, so that was important.

The most important thing you mentioned, I think, for overall success is to "purchase roses appropriate to my climate". It took me years to learn that, no thanks to the rose producing industry, which seems to pretend that any rose will do fine in any climate.

Jackie

Thanks Jackie. It took me a while to accept that certain roses simply didn't suit my area. There are lovely roses that don't seem to notice our winter.

M

M,
It has been trial and error - starting with planting roses that can take the cold (it was 22F this morning and I can count on some -5 to +5 days in the winter)as well as the scorching heat. In many years, all but the most cold-hardy will freeze down to within a few inches of the surface. Some years I'll get a couple of feet of non-damaged canes. The more tender roses get a bit of extra mulch around the base and all the roses get some extra dried horse manure which is applied by towing the cart near the rose beds and flinging manure in their general direction. Basically, they are on their own - something I tell them repeatedly this time of year. I do go to each of the climbers/ramblers (about 10) and tuck errant shoots back into the whole mess until pruning time in Spring. The wind gets pretty fierce here at times (Idaho high desert)and tucking those shoots in seems to help. The folks in colder climes than mine must do a lot more - or stick with the most cold-hardy roses. Drainage is not an issue since we get a grand total of 12" of moisture a year and not a lot of snow. What I have learned over the years is to not prune too early (and ignore the forsythia blooming) during the Spring. It only takes a few times of pruning at the "right" time then have some 20F weather and have the joy of re-pruning. I envy your mild winters - and the gorgeous rain.

Like Florence often says about her garden, mine is a Darwinian survival of the fittest garden. Here in Zone 6 we may get some really cold snowy weather with strong winds for a few weeks here and a few weeks there, but some years (like last winter) we got almost no winter at all. I can take this casual atttitude because my neighbors have 4 tall oak trees (2 of them right along my property line) that blow in leaves that scatter around many of my roses--not heavy, but just enough to give them a bit of natural protection, I guess.

My hybrid teas often need to be spring-pruned down within a few inches of the ground, but my shrubs don't seem to suffer much one way or another--nothing a light prune can't cure.

Cleaning out the leaves is a headache, however.

Kate

I rake up mounds and mounds of our leaves to the center of the back yard. My sweet husband then chops them up and dumps them in my compost area. After a few hard frosts,and after I have cleaned the beds of large leaves....I top the beds with the chopped up leaves. I mound my zone tender roses with the chopped leaves. I have had success with this. I do grow a few really zone challenged roses in pots that over-winter in my garage. In the spring, Iwork the chopped leaves into the soil. Nice!! I only wish I didn`t have SO many trees, but the ones I have give me this nice mulch...and I am grateful. I am in Louisville, KY. zone 6. I think my roses are a labor of love...a task I love. Lesley

Thank you guys. Please keep them coming.

M

I only winterize the potted ones usually. the ones in the ground I tend to let fend for themselves most years. I'm getting to an age where I just don't have the energy to pamper them. So if they can't make it on their own I don't want them.

When I did do some winterizing I used to use plastic milk jugs or old plastic flower pots with the top and bottoms cut off and a slit in the side as collars around the bases of the roses and then stuffed with leaves. That was fairly easy, inexpensive and worked pretty well.

We have already done the hard part--we remove the leaves from the rose beds--if we don't the leaves turn into a mushy mess when Spring arrives. Once we have had a few hard frosts I'll wrap the roses with burlap and call it done.Our zone has recently been changed from 6a to 6b.

This post was edited by zack_lau on Thu, Nov 29, 12 at 9:47

Lexington, Ky, zone 6, I begin wintering when I plant the rose bush by burying the bud union at least 2 inches below the ground. I prune in the spring instead of the fall. If time/weather allows I'll lightly mound some surrounding soil close to the base, especially the new roses and wish them luck!