Rose Care over the Winter
English Roses are tolerant and healthy by nature, and will cope with wintry weather without fuss. Our advice and videos on rose care over the winter will provide you with everything you need to ensure your roses continue to thrive when the warmer weather arrives.
November, December
Your roses are winding down for the winter. Let them go into dormancy. There is nothing you need to do now. Do not worry about your roses being exposed to extreme frosty conditions or snow, they are in hibernation and will be unaffected.
January, February
It’s time to prepare your roses for the year ahead and give them a prune. This can just be done once, sometime during January or February but if you haven’t done it by March, don’t worry as you can still do it then.
We recommend pruning during January and February. However, if you still haven’t pruned by March, it is still ok to do so.
Windy and Exposed Conditions
For roses planted in particularly windy or exposed areas we suggest pruning shrub roses by 1/3 of their size in mid to late October; once the last of the roses have faded. This prevents ‘wind rock’ which is when the rose becomes loose at the base where it meets the soil, due to wind exposure. For standards prune lightly to defend against strong winds.
HOW TO PRUNE
1. Cut back by required amount, shaping the rose as you go
2. Remove any dead, dying, diseased and damaged stems
3. Remove and dispose of any foliage that remains
What you will need: Secateurs, loppers, pruning saw, and gloves.
Let our Rose Experts show you how to prune your roses. Watch our videos or follow our step-by-step guides.
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Hip producing roses
Many roses will produce plentiful crops of beautifully coloured hips following their flowering season. These hips are highly decorative and will provide vibrant colour over the winter months, they also attract wild birds to your garden.
For hip producing roses do not deadhead. This will allow hips to form over the autumn.
Watch our video to see our Head Gardener, Steve, show you a selection of hip producing roses from our beautiful Rose Gardens.