Garden Care: Winterizing Hybrid Roses

Winterizing Hybrid Roses

There are hundreds of varieties of roses that grow successfully in Minnesota; many of them Hybrid Roses. In our climate, we need to protect Hybrid Roses from low winter temperatures as well as the ups and downs of fall and early spring. Protection may be as simple as raking leaves over the roses in late fall, or as involved as using the Minnesota Tip Method.

Preparing Hybrid Roses for Winter

1.	Stop fertilizing and pruning roses August 1.
2.	Regularly water each week to maintain an average of 1" of moisture.
3.	Prior to wintering, dust the canes with sulfur.
4.	The remaining steps (as outlined below) can be completed mid to late October or when the weather consistently freezes at night.

Winterizing Hybrid Roses

Climbing Roses

1.	Gently remove canes from trellis.
2.	Pin canes to the ground.
3.	Mulch 12” deep with straw or ground leaves.
4.	Place burlap over the leaves and pin to the ground.

Hybrid Roses

	The two perferred methods* for protecting hybrid roses are:
		Minnesota Tip Method (preferred)
		Mounding Method
	Minnesota Tip Method
	1.	Gently tie the canes to make a smaller bundle and minimize breakage.
	2.	Dig a trench out from the base of the plant. The trench needs to be as tall and as wide as the rose bush and deep enough that the bush will be below ground level when it is tipped.
	3.	Loosen the soil around the other sides of the rose. Using a spading fork, tip the rose over into the trench. Done carefully, a large portion of the root should not be severed.
	4.	While holding the bush down, fill the trench back in with soil. There should be at least 3-4 inches of soil over the canes.
	5.	Mulch 12" deep with straw or ground leaves after the ground begins to freeze, usually mid to late November.
	Mounding Method
	1.	Mound soil up around and over the graft of the rose by 6 inches.
	2.	Place chicken wire around the rose to contain straw or ground leaves.
	3.	Fill the inside of the cage with straw or ground leaves after the ground begins to freeze, usually mid to late November.

Tree Roses or Roses in Containers

Follow the Minnesota Tip Method as outlined above for hybrid roses.

* There is a third option for protecting hybrid roses over the winter, but the tip and mounding methods are perferred. The less favorable method is to cover roses with a rose cone. Usually a rose cone acts as a thermos; it heats up the plant to the point of breaking dormancy during the day and then freezes when the sun goes down. If you use a rose cone, make sure it has a removable top vent to let cool air in on warm, sunny days.

De-Winterizing in the Spring
Around mid-April, remove the mulch covering your roses. Wait until early May to remove the mounded soil and stand the tipped roses back up. Remove all deadwood and shape the rose bush as needed.

Related Bachman's Information

	Roses
	Pruning Roses
	Rose Problems

Select source information provided by the University of Minnesota Extension, www.extension.umn.edu.

Last Updated: May 2012

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