Protect Your Roses from the Elements

Roses can be a beautiful addition to your garden or landscaping, but before winter hits, you'll need to know how to take care of these bushes to help preserve them for years to come.

Winter Protection.

 First, choose plants that are meant for surviving in your area's winter climate and plant them at the correct depth in your beds.

Hardy by Nature.

Hardiness, the measurement of the plant's ability to survive in winter temperatures, is very important and can help you decide how much protection you need to provide. Protection is necessary where frequent freezing occurs and for roses that you've placed out of their zone. 

Providing Extra Protection.

Create a chicken wire collar around your rose bush by placing chicken wire in a cylinder around the bush. Add 12 inches of soil and then 12 inches of shredded leaves to protect the bud union and the lower canes. Remove the wire in the spring and work the mound into the soil.

Another method of additional protection is to use a polystyrene or compressed fiber rose cone. This should also be filled with mounded soil and mulch and weighed down with a brick. Remove the top when spring comes around to allow circulation.

Check out the entire article, Protection from the Elements, from Better Homes and Gardens.