Tree/Patio Roses: Care for Winter

7 years ago

Some of my tree/patio roses are in the ground, others are in pots. How should I care for them over the winter. I've heard mixed reviews. Should I plant potted roses in the ground? Do I put them in the garage? Do I cover them and lay them down horizontally and mulch them? I've listed the tree/patio roses that I have. I need help!

I live in Southeastern Massachusetts. They say we are now a zone 6, but I still air cautiously as a zone 5.

Potted: Enchanted Evening

Potted: Sweetness

Ground: April In Paris

Ground: Easy Does It

Ground: Weeping China Doll

Grateful for any help. Thank you in advance.

Featured Answer

summersrhythm_z6a

7 years ago

They don't really look good now due to the hot and dry summer we are having, and plus rose midge problem........we normally have wet and comfortable summers here.

I took a photo of PJP2nd rose trees in pots today, they are pretty done blooming at this moment. I got them from JP's summer sale...... another photo is a Polar Joy in the garden. About 23 of my potted rose trees are KOs, they aren't in bloom at this moment. one photo was from this spring, getting them out the garage after a long winter. :-) You can see it's totally doable, just make sure you have enough room in the garage. :-)

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Comments (16)

seil zone 6b MI
7 years ago
I have one tree rose in a pot. I wrap it and put it in my shed for winter. the best place would be your garage for those. The ones in the ground you can either pot or tip and buried. The problem is that the graft on the tree rose is at the top. Usually that won't survive the winter unprotected in some manner. That's why you either have to find them a warmer place or bury the graft in the ground to keep it from dying.
cotto (z6 Massachusetts) thanked seil zone 6b MI
Redroses Z6
7 years ago
Hi every one, Im so glad I found this discussion, this is my 1 st year growing a rose tree, mine was not doing good because I plant it in wrong spot , when should I dig it out to put in the pot? What size of pot should I use? Thank you.
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summersrhythm_z6a
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
I have a lot of rose trees in pots, close to 40 now (added more this year when JP had their end of season sale). Lol

I store all my rose trees in attached garage, and water them once a month during the winter months. A few years back, I lost all my rose trees storaged in garden sheds, it was a really cold winter, so after that all rose trees stay in the garage. They are in diff size pots, between 14"-16" I think. There are some hardy rose trees can stay in the garden for the winter. I have Polar Joy rose trees and Canadian cold hardy rose trees ( I lost 3 out of 8 Canadian rose trees within 2 winters though). Polar Joy is indeed a hardy soul.
cotto (z6 Massachusetts) thanked summersrhythm_z6a
Redroses Z6
7 years ago
Wow, summersrhythm, I bet they all so beautiful, ok I ll do that. Do you have some picture? I would love to see your beautiful rose tree.wooooow 40 rose tree lol , I cant imagine you must be very busy .lol.
Redroses Z6
7 years ago
Summersrhythm, wow thats alot of roses lol and so beautiful too, I love PJP2nd , its smells so good. After see your pics I definetely will not cancel my rose tree for next spring. Again, thanks for sharing.
summersrhythm_z6a
7 years ago
You're welcome! I ordered about 15 rose trees from JP's summer sale this year, they were about $15 each, 2 of them didn't make it. A rose tree hugger indeed.
Dave5bWY
7 years ago
Cotto - I have had success overwintering rose standards in the ground. Prior to the first hard freeze I spray the rose with horticultural oil and create a frame with wire fencing about 2-3 feet in diameter and tall enough to be 18 inches higher than the graft. I surround it in burlap (to cover the holes in the fencing) and then fill it with hardwood bark mulch. I do not uncover it until after the last frost date and am sure it will not be exposed to a late spring frost.

I have overwintered potted roses in the garage with success, also, but have not tried the garage approach with rose standards.
cotto (z6 Massachusetts) thanked Dave5bWY
Redroses Z6
7 years ago
Summersrhythm, omg thats such a good deal, wow I wish I know when they had the sale.
cotto (z6 Massachusetts)
Original Author
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Thank you so much for all who gave me advice. This older gentleman who used to own his own nursery and now works at Lowe's insists I should keep them in ground, and plant the potted ones into the ground. I did that once in my beginner years with a cinco de mayo (without covering it) and it died.

@Dave(MO 6a), How long does it take you to make than 'barrier"?

@summersrhythm, When do they typically have the sale at JP? That is where I bought all mine from. Do you take all the leaves off the standard rose prior to putting them in the garage?

I bought 4 standards into my garage last year. They became very leggy so I just left them. I think I brought them out too early and either shocked them or it was before the last front. One survived and it was a Red Knockout.
mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)
7 years ago
Usually there is about a month of schlepping pots in and out. They don't go out and stay out. They go out sometime in March, when the overnight lows are above freezing. When the low is below freezing, they go back in.
cotto (z6 Massachusetts) thanked mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)
Dave5bWY
7 years ago
It doesn't take too long to make the barrier but it does take a lot of mulch. But it does work. I would be hesitant to trust my insulated but unheated garage with a rose standard because the graft is still elevated. I do need to track the temperature in my garage this winter but it does still get very cold but does protect against those drying winter winds. My potted roses at least have the graft covered with soil/mulch.
cotto (z6 Massachusetts) thanked Dave5bWY
summersrhythm_z6a
7 years ago
The JP rose sale was from May-June. They had coupon codes too. The KO rose trees are hardier than the HT rose trees. I have never used winter protection for KOs in the garage, but for PJP2nd and other rose trees from JP, I like Seil's idea to wrap the tree top up for extra care. I am in zone 6a, the low temp can get to -10F here. My garage is attached & insulated, it gets some heat from the house, but the garage door is always open to get snow blower in and out during the winter season, I am in a snow country, kingdom of crystals.......

I think I moved all the rose trees out in the middle of April this spring, it's safer to move them out in May. I just couldn't wait to ride my bikes, had to get the rose trees out of the garage.
cotto (z6 Massachusetts) thanked summersrhythm_z6a
cotto (z6 Massachusetts)
Original Author
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
I'm sure all you "seasoned" rose lovers already know this, but I bought roses this year from: Jackson Perkins, Edmunds, Chamblees, and Palatine.

By far, Palatine Roses were the hardiest. They have thicker stems and solid roots. Chamblees were thin and extremely small. Plus, I bought about 25 roses because the prices were good. When I called customer service because two were not doing great, the manager WAS NOT customer friendly. JP was great! One of my standard tree roses died and they reimbursed without question. The balance of my standard roses are doing great. One only flowered on one stem (April in Paris).

I decided to take photos of my roses. How come the roses in my pots get leggier than the ones in the ground?

1: Enchanted Evening Tree Rose

2: Sweetness Tree Rose

3: Easy Does It Tree Rose

4: April In Paris (Flowered twice on one stem)

5: Red Knockout Rose

6: China Doll Weeping Tree

7: China Doll Weeping Tree
cotto (z6 Massachusetts)
Original Author
7 years ago
Hi summersrhythm_z6a

Thank you for the feedback. I'm not so "up" on the abbreviations. What is PJP2nd? And is HT = Hybrid Tea Rose? Thank you for taking the time to help me!
summersrhythm_z6a
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Nice photos! PJP2nd is Pope John Paul II, HT is Hybrid Tea, sorry I was being lazy. :-) I have 6 PJP2nd trees from JP, they repeat faster than my KO trees, due to the heat and midge damage my KOs are not doing well. Do you have rose midge in your garden? The roses have midge damage won't bloom. I just treated mine, hope they can bloom more before the snow season.
cotto (z6 Massachusetts) thanked summersrhythm_z6a