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Healthy Blooms Start With Fall Prep

By Richard Zondag

( SPONSORED CONTENT)— It’ s late summer, and plants are starting to prepare for winter. Days are getting shorter and nights longer. Although days remain sunny and warm, nighttime temperatures are cooling.

Dormancy Means Survival

During this time of the year, you do not want to encourage your plants to grow by overwatering, pruning or fertilizing. Any of these stimuli can reverse the onset of dormancy, making your roses more susceptible to winter injury or death.

As fall progresses, seasonal frosts will continue to push roses into dormancy. During this time, roses utilize the energy produced by their leaves to accumulate the carbohydrates necessary for winter survival.

How and When to Winterize Roses

In northern regions, roses typically enter dormancy by Thanksgiving, making it an ideal time to winterize them. Pruning may be necessary during this process, and doing so while the plant is dormant will not interrupt its natural cycle.

Hybrid Tea, Grandiflora & Floribunda Roses

Hybrid tea, grandiflora and floribunda roses are borderline hardy and, therefore, most susceptible to winter injury or death. With these rose types, you’ ll want to protect the base of the plant where the graft union is present. This can be done in one of two ways:

• Mounding up the soil. Pull the branches together using twine, then place a plastic cylinder around the base of the plant. Fill the cylinder with

soil to protect the plant base.

• Using a Styrofoam rose cone. Pull the branches together with twine, then prune the rose as needed so the Styrofoam cone will reach the ground. Seal the cone to keep mice and voles out, preventing them from damaging the plants. Secure the cone to keep it from blowing away during a windstorm.

Climbing Roses

Climbing roses that are grown in northern areas require winter protection, as most bloom on the growth from the previous summer. Two options for winter protection include:

• Loosen one side of the root system to allow you to tip the rose over and cover it with soil.

• Cover the plant with burlap and stuff the bag with straw to insulate it from the cold weather.

Shrub( Hardy) Roses

Shrub roses, or hardy roses, are just as their name implies are hardy in most northern states. Covering the base of the plant is recommended for the first winter, but after that, no protection is necessary.

As you prepare your rose garden for cold weather, remember that timing and care are key. Your roses will properly enter dormancy and give them the best chance to survive the cold months ahead by avoiding late-season pruning, watering and fertilizing. A little effort now will help ensure healthy, vigorous plants next spring and beautiful blooms all summer.

About the Author:

Richard Zondag is a horticulturist, master gardener and the owner of Jung Seed Co.

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August 2025 AcreageLife 9