| I planted rosebushes this summer, what should I do to them (if anything) before winter? We have already had a light frost. |
| To some extent what you need to do depends on what kind of roses you planted. If you planted grafted hybrid tea roses, you will need to cover the base of each plant with a cone of soil mounded about a foot or so high. This will help insulate the graft during the winter. Do this in late fall, just before the ground freezes. Next spring, gradually remove it as the weather warms. If you planted low maintenance hardy landscape roses or other hardy shrub roses such as rugosas, you should mulch generously in late fall, no need to mound any soil. In spring, trim off any winter damaged canes and again, depending on the type of rose you have, you may need to do some additional pruning at that time as well. Your local professional garden center staff and/or county extension should be able to advise you if you are unsure. I hope this helps! |
