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Winter Protection
When the winter winds blow, gardeners who live in an area where temperatures dip below 5 F need to protect their roses. The goal of this easy annual procedure is to lessen the effects of freezing and thawing, and to keep the branches from whipping about, which in turn causes roots to loosen.
Winter protection is probably the most debated area of rose care. Many rosarians have developed favorite methods. AARS has devised the following routine which has proven effective in its public gardens and trial gardens across the United States.
Sometime after the first hard frost, cut back rose plants to about 24 inches. This makes the plants easier to work with and prevents them from becoming battered by wind and ice.
Next, tie the canes together with twine to protect from winds.
For each rose plant, form an 8 to 12-inch mound of fresh, loose soil or compost around the base. An additional layer of hay or straw may be added over the mound, if desired.
When spring rolls around and you observe the beginning of new growth on your roses, carefully remove the soil mounds.
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