Regional Growing Guide: Northern & Central Midwest
Harsh winters and humid summers are the greatest challenges to growing roses in our nation's midsection. Preventive measures in the northern states are extreme. In fall, the "Minnesota tip" involves loosening the roots, digging a trench, then tipping over the rose and burying it beneath leaves, branches and straw. In southern states, gardeners who can't rely on snow to insulate their roses wrap them in rings of newspaper filled with mulch. Planting cold-hardy roses helps ensure success, as does selecting new hybrid teas, floribundas and shrub roses that bear thick, waxy leaves and have been bred to resist disease.
Select a season: Spring Early Summer Late Summer Fall
Prune Shrub Roses
To keep shrub roses in a shrubby shape, prune in late summer. Take out all dead wood and cut the outside shoots to ground level. This encourages new shoots that keep the plant blooming all the way to the base.
Weed Under Rose Plants
Remove weeds under and around roses so they don't compete for water and nutrients. This will also improve air circulation around the plants, and it keeps the bed looking tidy.
Prepare Soil for Next Spring's Roses
Roses need a well-loosened and amended soil, so prepare the soil now for spring planting. If the bed is in a low spot, add coarse sand and topsoil to raise the level. Then mix in compost or peat moss to improve drainage.
Cutting Tips for Roses
A beautiful bouquet of roses will last much longer if you follow a few simple cutting instructions. Cut early in the morning before the dew has dried from the leaves. Immediately plunge the cut stems into a deep bucket filled with hot water! Allow the cut flowers to rest for a few hours, or as long as overnight, before you arrange them in the vase.
Water Your Roses Through Fall
Keep roses watered up until the ground freezes. Even when the plants begin to look a bit forlorn, their roots are still active and need water. Water deeply once a week.