November-December in a Connecticut Rose Garden

Steve & Carol Ann Rogers

This is a very important period of time in our New England rose garden.  The actions we take are intended to help our rose plants go dormant, and then maintain this cold, dormant state until late March, or early April of the new year.  Furthermore, we do not want the plants to experience multiple freeze/thaw cycles during the winter, as this will cause significant plant damage, and even death.   Finally, we will want to protect the plants from the extreme winter conditions, e.g., dry winds, subzero temperatures, ice, etc.

As a general rule and word of caution, do not apply winter protection too early.  This may have the negative effect of inhibiting dormancy, thus exposing a viable plant to the harsh winter, and possibly causing significant winter kill.  Also, applying winter protection too early may encourage voles and other small critters to set up a home in the rose garden and feed on the plants all winter long.

In early November, we will prune all of our plants back to appropriate heights for the variety.  For example, hybrid teas, grandifloras, and floribundas are cut back to 18” – 24”, and miniatures to 12” - 15”.  Shrubs are trimmed to 2/3rds their desired bloom height.  Ramblers, climbers, and OGRs can be cosmetically thinned, and cut back keeping in mind to leave enough growth to support next year’s blooms.  Ramblers and climbers should also be secured to their supports.  The intent of these activities is to lessen the adverse effects of high winds by minimizing the “rocking” and ‘whipping” of the plants.  It is important not to prune too short, because, if winter kill occurs, the odds of enough healthy plant material remaining after the dead material is removed in the spring is significantly increased.  We will also begin a meticulous cleaning of all plant debris from the rose gardens to remove potential habitats for pests, and fungus spores, which can winter over in an unkempt area.

Around mid November we will cover the bud union of grafted plants with a couple of inches of material such as fresh soil or mulch to protect this part of the plant from hard freezes, and we will continue to clean debris from the beds.  Do not scratch the soil surrounding the plant for mounding as tender feeder roots may be exposed and damaged.

In late November or early December we will complete our winterization steps to keep our plants dormant, i.e., keep the plants cold.  Additional protection will be provided for the winter tender varieties such as hybrid teas, grandifloras, and floribundas.  We will do a final cleaning of debris and remove any remaining foliage from these varieties.  We will cover the bud union with a 10”-12” mound of fresh soil, or mulch, to insulate the dormant plant from the major temperature swings.  This will also provide wind protection for the covered canes, and eliminate the potential for frost heaves.  Additional wind barriers can be placed over or around the plants such as Styrofoam Kones, Styrofoam panels, or pine bow teepees from Christmas trees.

Miniature roses can be protected by enclosing the bed with a 12”-15” chicken wire fence, and filling in, and covering the plants with 15” of oak leaves.  Remember to take all necessary precautions to protect these plants from being a winter home for little vegetarian critters (voles)!

In summary, the November-December period in Connecticut is the time to apply various types of winter protection to our roses.  Remember, once dormancy has occurred, winter protection is intended to keep the roses consistently cold, not warm!

Have a ROSEY winter!