From The Ground Up: Time to start putting roses to bed for winter

November is a good time to start preparing your roses for winter. Carefully tie up roses with twine to prevent the canes from becoming damaged due to high winds. Next, remove any leftover mulch and cover the bottom of the roses with 10 to 12 inches of soil. Additional material such as straw or leaves should then be covered on top, with even more soil on top to keep the straw or leaves in place. Styrofoam cones are not recommended due to the fungal organisms that can grow inside the cones and in spring, the cones can heat up prematurely.

To prevent rabbit damage from roses in winter, place chicken wire fencing or hardware cloth around the plants. The fence should stand 24” to 36” tall due to the heavy snow that might allow a pesky rabbit to reach over the fence. Bury the bottom 2 to 3 inches below the ground or pin the fencing to the soil with anchor pins.

To protect a potted rose, dig a hole and cover the rose canes so that 6 to 8 inches of soil covers the rose canes. Potted miniature roses can be brought inside (before a hard freeze) and placed in a south or west-facing window and then maintained as a houseplant.

But, the best time to prepare roses for winter actually starts when you plant new roses in the spring. Too often we worry about planting too deep, but in the case of roses, deeper is better. When planting new roses, the knob should be 2 to 4 inches below the surface.

Chose one-root roses when possible. Most rose varieties are actually two roses in one – the top part with pretty flowers, which is grafted to a tough rose on the bottom. One-root roses are harder to find but more winter hardy because if they die back to the root, the plant survives.

In spring, don't prune too early. Wait until the leaf buds are a half inch or so long so it's easier to decipher what's dead and what's not. Roses demand at least eight hours of unfiltered sun a day, morning sun being preferred as it dries off the morning dew and prevents fungal diseases.

Fertilize roses in early spring, just as the roses are experiencing new growth, again at bloom time in early June and lastly in early July. Stop feeding by early August, as the new growth will get zapped at winter.

Why not try growing a Buck rose next spring? Developed by Dr. Griffith Buck, a professor at Iowa State University, Buck roses are known for their winter hardiness, low maintenance and attractiveness. Buck roses are resistant to common rose diseases such as black spot and can survive Iowa's winters. Good luck selecting just one from over 86 varieties.