How to Prepare Mini Roses for Winter
Miniature roses are 6- to 24-inch perennial shrubs that bloom all summer and provide color for small sunny spaces or containers. Unlike many larger roses, they are not grafted but grow on their own roots. Mini roses grown in gardens south of U.S. Department of Agriculture zone 6 bloom almost all year and need little winter care. Many mini roses are hardy to zone 6; the hardiest shrubs grow in zones 5 and 4. The Calgary Rose Society offers miniature rose advice for zone 3. Even the hardiest plants need protection from winter's drying wind and cold in northern zones. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Shovel
- Basket
- Clean garden soil or compost
- Pruning shears
- Hand trowel
- Hand cultivator or rake
- Watering can
- Garden gloves
Instructions
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Help your miniature rose prepare for dormancy by watering it regularly through early fall to hydrate it well. Stop fertilizing in July to keep it from producing new growth that may die back with the first freeze, killing parts of the small shrub.
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Trim the shrub to 4 to 6 inches tall, proportional to its size. Shear the shrub or hand prune individual branches to retain a well-rounded shape.
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Mound fresh soil over the plant after the first fall frost. In zone 6, simply cover the base of the plant's main stem. In more northern zones, the Calgary Rose Society suggests mounding 4 to 6 inches of clean soil mixed with leaves, compost or peat moss over the plant so that only the ends of the branches can be seen.
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Trim container mini roses to 4 to 6 inches tall and bury the entire plant in the garden or set the container in a sheltered cool area like a cellar or garage where the temperature doesn't fall below freezing.
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Uncover plants after the soil warms and the last average frost date has passed. After removing the heavy winter mulch, cover the area around the plant with an inch of fresh compost or organic mulch to insulate mini rose's shallow roots. Water plants deeply to keep roots moist during cool springs.
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Tips & Warnings
Wear gloves to work with roses -- even minis have thorns.
Do not pile soil over roses before the first frost or allow summer mulch to come closer than a few inches from the main stem. The resulting basin will hold water and keep insects and bacteria away from the rose stem.
Avoid allowing winter mulch to become waterlogged; bacteria and fungi live in mulches until the first freeze and feed on moisture.
Move potted plants outside during sunny days and back inside at night throughout May to "harden off" plants and re-accustom plants to outdoor temperatures and light.
Never let container miniature roses stored in garages or cellars dry out completely; water plants periodically to keep soil and pots moist.
References
Resources
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