Rose Care over the Winter
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.
Hip Producing roses
For hip producing roses do not deadhead. This will allow hips to form over the autumn, giving colour in the winter months.
Windy or Exposed Locations
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.
Pruning
Pruning is the removal of weak, dead and diseased stems from a rose plant. The main purpose of pruning is to create a shapely, attractive shrub, with good structure, as well as encouraging fresh new growth.
We recommend pruning during January and February. However, if you still haven’t pruned by March, it is still ok to do so.
The amount you need to cut back your rose depends on the type of rose you are pruning.
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.