Roses can put up with a lot, but often the harsh winter weather can lead to these plants “suffering”, according to the gardening experts at Millcreek Gardens.
It is important to provide autumn care for your plants to ensure a healthy start next spring.
The pros said: “Without proper care in the autumn, rose bushes may not survive the winter.
“If you want to make sure you see blooms next spring, you need to prepare your roses for the cold weather months.”
The pros have set out four tasks that need to be followed before winter hits next month.
1. Remove damaged leaves
While extensive pruning “isn’t recommended” during the autumn season, removing dead, diseased and damaged leaves from your rose bushes is “wise”.
Be sure to use pruners to clip the leaves off, however, as pulling them creates small tears in the stem, and those can be “entry points for disease”.
2. Trim canes that are too long
Heavy winds can whip the canes of your rose bushes around, and if the stems are super long, “they can suffer damage”.
Cut yours down to about four feet or so in length to avoid this, then tie the canes loosely together to keep them from easily moving.
3. Clean up around roses
Once you have taken care of the leaves and canes, rake up any plant debris from underneath the bushes.
Fungal diseases like black spot on their leaves can litter around the plant, and removing the material can reduce the risk of problems and “help ensure your roses bloom beautifully in the spring”.
4. Apply mulch around the base of roses
Mulching not only provides plants with valuable nutrients, but it also acts as insulation for their roots in the winter.
To protect your roses, put down about eight to 12 inches of high-quality mulch around the base of the bushes.
Take extra care to cover the base of the rose plant above the roots where all the canes come from well, as it is often susceptible to winter injury.
