Roses are mainly plagued by frost, sun and wind in winter, although most types of roses have no problem with permanent frost per se - this only becomes problematic when the winter sun stimulates the flow of sap on mild days and then the temperatures rise again fall sharply. As a result, the plant cells burst and sometimes serious damage occurs, which is particularly noticeable in blackened shoots.
How to prepare roses for winter?
To prepare roses for winter, stop fertilizing by mid-July at the latest, fertilize with potash fertilizer between mid- and late August, mound the plants with 15-20 cm of soil and protect them from winter sun and wind Fir or spruce branches, reed mats or jute sacks.
Preparation for winter takes place in midsummer
Even if no one wants to think about winter when it's 30 degrees in the shade, now is the right time to start preparing for the cold season. To do this, however, you must first stop something, namely fertilizing the heavily wasting roses. The plants should be fertilized for the last time at the end of June or mid-July at the latest. Fertilizing later only leads to more shoots being formed, which, however, will no longer be able to mature in time for winter and will therefore most likely freeze to death. Instead, a final fertilization with a good potash fertilizer (€16.00 on Amazon) is carried out between mid and end of August - but definitely not later.
Particularly important: protect roses from the winter sun
The sun in winter is much more dangerous for roses than frost. On clear, sunny days in January or February, when the ground is frozen, water evaporates from the above-ground parts of the plant, but water cannot be replaced by the roots in the frozen ground. Roses usually don't freeze to death in winter, but simply dry up. This phenomenon is also known as frost drying. This can be remedied by covering the plants with fir or spruce branches to protect the shoots from strong sunlight.
pile up roses
By piling up you protect your roses from both frost and the drying winter sun. The gardener uses this term to mean covering the plants with a 15 to 20 centimeter high mound of earth, for which existing garden soil can be used as well as seasoned compost. By the way, roses should never be cut in autumn!
Tip
Tall stems in particular are at risk in winter and therefore need special protection. Use fir or spruce twigs as well as jute bags and other breathable materials; plastic bags or bubble wrap are unsuitable, as condensation will only form underneath, which can lead to mold. Climbing roses, on the other hand, are effectively protected from winter sun and cold winds with the help of reed mats.