survive winter in zone 6a

16 years ago

Hi all!

I'm new to growing anything! My husband and I have been attempting to learn to grow plants without killing them and our most recent adventure has been a mini-rose we bought at a supermarket. Which of course means we don't know what exact strain (is that the right word?) it is.

From everything I've read, trying to keep a potted mini-rose alive indoors is more of a challenge than we can tackle. Especially since we aren't about to purchase grow-lights and the climate here in Kelowna means that the sun goes behind the clouds in October and doesn't resurface again until March!

Can a potted mini-rose survive a winter in zone 6a? If the forecast is for the temp to dip into the -20's C (-4 to -15 F), should we bring it inside temporarily, or is that too drastic a temp change?

I plan to repot once the mini goes dormant and then prune in the spring (if it survives!). Does that sound like a good plan (or a disaster!). Thanks in advance!

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Comments (8)

gilli2007
16 years ago
I'm in Kamloops and have several minis which are happy outside all winter long. However, they are planted directly into the ground and not in pots.

If you want to leave your mini in a pot then I would sink the pot into the ground over the winter to protect the roots. Also mound some soil a few inches over the top. Make sure the snow covers the mound over the winter even if you have to pile a bit on yourself. When the ground starts to thaw out in the spring slowly over a week or so wash the soil off the top of the rose to let the sun and air get to it. Lift the pot from the ground in about April and leave it in a sunny spot. It should do just fine.
michelle_co
16 years ago
What Gilli said. It will almost certainly die overwinter if not protected.

Cheers,
Michelle
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jennyk85
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks guys! We live in an apartment building, which is why our mini's are in pots, but we'll figure something out to protect them. One question though, when you say to mound some soil and snow over them, does that mean you prune them right down in the fall and then put the soil and snow right over the whole plant?
gilli2007
16 years ago
No, you don't need to prune them right down. You can either leave the pruning til spring or I just prune back by about 1/4 to 1/3 and get rid of any dead or spindly canes. Then mound the soil around and gently on top of the plant. The canes will stick out of the soil mound a bit probably.

You could try getting some bigger pots and sinking your mini pots in those. Then I would put those bigger pots into a cardboard box or something (open at the top) and stuff the box with wood chips or leaves around the sides of the pot to insulate against freezing and thawing. Still mound the soil. Don't let your pots dry out over the winter if they are under cover. Dehydration can be just as bad as freezing.
jennyk85
Original Author
16 years ago
great! Thank you! Dehydration shouldn't be an issue. It seems pretty wet here over the winter (although we just moved in Jan/07).
seagreen_turtle Z5b/6a SE Michigan
16 years ago
Hi,

Just to clarify, if I have mini-roses planted in the ground, should I mound up dirt or mulch on top of them? And, I know this is the mini-rose forum but may I ask if that is what I should do for my "regular"-sized roses, too? (I guess I cannot cover the climbing roses completely or I would have a five foot tall mound ;-) ) I planted all of these this year and all are healthy. When selecting the non-mini-roses I chose only varieties that have high ratings (8.8, 9.2, etc.) I'm sorry but I have forgotten the name of the scale for rating rose hardiness.

Thanks!
balthazaru
9 years ago
The tag on the miniature roses I bought say ideal temp is 22C...I wonder about planting them outdoors, but the suggested temp has me concerned.
seil zone 6b MI
9 years ago
Plant them outside! Roses hate being inside and will not do well and will probably die. If you're concerned about winter plant them fairly deep and then mulch them high for winter. Most minis are grown on their own roots and should come back even if you have to prune them to the ground in the spring.

survive winter in zone 6a

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gilli2007

michelle_co

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survive winter in zone 6a

Comments (8)

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