How to prepare roses for winter: a step-by-step guide

Most garden roses in Ukraine overwinter successfully if they are prepared in advance. The key is to let the shoots ripen, not to cover the bushes too early and to protect them from temperature swings and damp. Here is a step-by-step guide to preparing roses for winter, plus how to take rose cuttings in autumn. Everything else about types, colours and care is in our complete guide to roses. For when and how to cut back, see how to prune roses. Timing and technique for autumn planting are in planting roses.

Roses for your home are in our potted plants section, and cut ones in spray roses.

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Six steps of preparation

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Feeding and ripening the shoots

From late summer roses are no longer fed with nitrogen: it encourages soft new shoots that won't have time to harden and will be killed by frost. Potassium and phosphorus fertilisers are used instead. From September it is better not to cut the flowers but to let hips form — a signal for the bush to prepare for dormancy.

Clearing leaves and pruning

• Fallen leaves under the bushes are collected and removed: disease agents such as black spot overwinter on them.
• In autumn only unripe green, damaged and diseased shoots are removed. The main formative pruning of most roses is done in spring.
• Climbing roses are taken off their supports and carefully bent down to the ground.

Earthing up and covering

• Earthing up. The base of the bush is covered with dry soil or compost to a height of 20–30 cm.
• When to cover. After steady light frosts of about −3…−5 °C set in. Covering too early, while it is still warm, makes the bushes rot.
• What to use. Spruce branches, horticultural fleece or a frame with an air gap. Tight plastic film against the bush is risky because condensation builds up underneath.
• Which roses need more protection. Hybrid teas and climbers; many shrub and Canadian roses are hardy and only need earthing up.

In spring the cover is removed gradually as the soil thaws, so the bushes don't get scorched by the sun. Other autumn garden jobs are covered in "Autumn garden care".

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Taking rose cuttings in autumn

Autumn pruning is a good moment to take cuttings of a favourite variety. Results depend on the variety: some roses root easily, others poorly.

• Choose ripened shoots of the current year about as thick as a pencil.
• Cut pieces 15–20 cm long with 3–4 buds; the bottom cut is angled just below a bud, the top cut straight just above a bud.
• Remove the lower leaves and shorten the upper ones.
• Root the cuttings in a sheltered spot in the garden or in pots in a cool, bright room, keeping them moderately moist.

Common winter-cover mistakes

• Covering too early. In warm weather canes rot under the cover — wait for steady sub-zero nights.
• Plastic film without ventilation. Condensation builds up; use horticultural fleece or leave gaps.
• Late pruning and nitrogen feeding in autumn trigger soft new shoots that won’t harden in time.
• Removing everything at once in spring. Uncover gradually so the bark doesn’t scorch in bright sun.

FAQ

When should roses be covered for winter?

After steady light frosts of about −3…−5 °C, not at the first cold snap.

Should roses be pruned in autumn?

Only unripe, damaged and diseased shoots; the main pruning is done in spring.

Can I cover roses with plastic film?

Not tightly: condensation builds up under the film. Horticultural fleece or spruce branches are better.

Author: Maria Svitlovir

Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.

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