Worried about how your potted roses will get through the winter? If you live in cold-winter areas, you'll need to give these shrubs some special attention:
- Remove leaves from the rose bush and spray with a fungicide and dormant oil spray.
- Water to a nice moistness but not too wet.
- Using a slip knot, tie the canes together with twine. Add a wooden stake to the container and put the container in a garbage bag to keep the plant from drying out. Pull the bag up over the foliage and tie at the top. You will want tie it in such a way that you'll be able to open it easily; you'll be watering the plant a couple of times during the winter. The stake will help prevent the plastic bag from damaging the canes.
- Put the container in an unheated area of your property, such as a garage, out of cold winds. Make sure that the area maintains a temperature of at least 20 degrees F; the best temperature for storing roses is around 40 degrees F. Place the container on a platform at least six inches from the ground so it won't get wet on the bottom.
- Put a thermometer near the plant and check it through the winter just to be sure. Water the plant a couple of times during the winter.
Another method for overwintering your potted roses is to dig a trench in your yard. Defoliate and tie up the canes and place the plant (in its container) in the trench. Cover with four to six inches of soil for insulation. Remember to leave a length of twine above ground so you can dig it up again in the spring.
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