How to Winterize Your Roses: Keep Your Blooms Safe and Sound Until Spring!

With fall in full swing, it’s time to start thinking about winterizing your roses. While these blooms bring a lot of beauty in spring and summer, they can be a bit delicate when it comes to the colder months. But don’t worry—winterizing your roses is easier than it sounds! Let’s walk through some simple steps to keep your roses safe through winter and come back even stronger for the next growing season.

Winter Rose Care by Growing Zone

The first step is to know your growing zone since it determines how much insulation your roses need. For those in Zones 7 and warmer, a 2-3 inch mulch layer at the base of each rose will likely be enough to keep them warm. For Zones 6 and below, roses need a bit more love—a thick layer of mulch plus some extra soil mounded around the base of the plant will add protection.

Easily find your growing zone HERE.

Own-Root vs. Grafted Roses:
Did you know your rose’s root type affects its winter survival? If you have own-root roses (grown from a cutting with their own roots), you’re in luck! These will grow back true to type even if they die back to the ground. However, grafted roses—ones that use different rootstock for hardiness—are more delicate. Their bud union, where the top and root meet, is sensitive to cold and should ideally be buried one to two inches below the soil in colder areas.

When and How to Prune Your Roses for Winter

After the first killing frost, prune roses down to about 30 inches, removing any dead or damaged canes. For taller varieties, cut longer canes to about 18-24 inches to prevent wind damage. This keeps your roses from being uprooted by strong winter winds, and trust me, you don’t want to chase a rogue rose bush around the yard in January!

Winterizing Climbing Roses and Roses in Containers

For climbing roses, carefully remove canes from their trellis and either tie them around a support pole wrapped in burlap or bury them under a layer of soil and leaves. This is a little extra work but helps your climbers survive harsh conditions. For container roses, prune them back, remove damaged foliage, and shelter them in an unheated garage or shed. Just keep the soil slightly moist!

My Winter Rose Prep Experience

I fell in love with growing roses and last fall, I took the plunge with my own rose winterizing routine to ensure the survival of my favorite blooms. As mine are all in ground I settled on mounding extra soil around the base, which helps my roses stay cozy all season long. Come spring, they burst forth like they’d spent winter on a tropical vacation!

Winterizing roses might sound like a lot, but it’s surprisingly straightforward—and totally worth it for that glorious bloom season ahead.

Happy planting, and may your roses stay snug all winter long!

Peruse and order from among my favorite roses bred by David Austin.