Wintering roses: in a pot & in a bed

The fragile rose needs special protection in the cold season. Here you can find out how to successfully overwinter your roses in beds and pots.

Roses (pink) thrive best in areas with warmer climates. In rougher areas, special winter protection measures may therefore be necessary so that your rose can survive the cold months. Above all, you should protect the sensitive grafting point and the shoot base with the buds for the coming growing season from cold temperatures and winter sun. In this article, we will explain to you the best way to go about wintering your roses.

Hibernate roses

When do my roses get too cold without protection? How do I go about wintering outdoors and what should I watch out for with potted roses? We have summarized the answers to these questions for you below.

When do the roses get too cold?

Most rose varieties are not frost hardy, which is why you should think about suitable protective measures early enough. However, it is best to let the rose shoots mature and only apply winter protection when a period of frost is in prospect.

Hibernate roses in the bed

First, remove old inflorescences and leaves. In addition, you should remove the fallen leaves on the ground to prevent fungal diseases. Then pile the rose about 20 cm high with soil, so that about three to four eyes are covered. You should not prune your rose until spring. You can also put pine green between the higher shoots that are still sticking out to offer them protection. The same applies to climbing roses, where the fir green can be stuck between the shoots along the climbing aid.

Standard roses, on the other hand, need special frost protection. Again, first remove the foliage from the crown and from the ground. Then carefully bend young stems down. Make sure you pay attention to the direction of bending so that the trunk does not break. Then attach the trunk to the ground using hooks. The crown should lie flat and be covered with garden soil. Compost soil is not suitable for this, as otherwise the crown will begin to rot over the winter. A sheathing made of straw or fir green provides additional protection for the finishing point.

Older standard roses do not have to be bent. It is best to wrap the crown in straw or pine green and put an air-permeable cover - for example a jute sack or a fleece hood - over it. In addition, you can pile up the stem rose at the grafting point and, if necessary, attach suitable stem protection.

Summary to overwinter roses in the bed:

1. Do not put on winter protection until a period of frost is imminent
2. Remove old inflorescences and leaves
3. Remove leaves from the ground
4. Pile up about 20 cm high with soil
5. Put the fir green between the shoots

Hibernate roses in a pot

With potted roses, additional protection of the roots is of great importance. As in the field, you should first pile up the rose in the pot or in the bucket to protect the grafting point. In addition, the rose bush can be covered with fir green. You can also add a crown pad to tall tree roses. Next, wrap the pot with burlap sacks or bamboo mats and tie them tight. Be generous: the thicker the protective layer, the better the insulation from the cold.

So that the rose is also protected from the cold from below, we recommend that you place the pot on a wooden or styrofoam plate to avoid direct contact with the ground. Have you then also selected a location that protects your rose from wind and weather? a successful wintering outside in the garden, on the balcony or terrace nothing more in Ways. However, if the permafrost persists, it is advisable to bring the potted roses into the house and place them in an unheated room - for example in the basement.

Summary to overwinter potted roses:

1. Select protected location
2. Remove flowers and leaves
3. Pile up with earth
4. Put the fir green between the shoots
5. If necessary, attach crown pads
6. Wrap the pot with insulation material
7. Place on a styrofoam plate
8. Bring inside in case of permafrost

Tip from the professional: Despite the dormancy of the vegetation, you should make sure that the rose does not dry out completely over the winter when cultivating in pots. But only water on frost-free days so that the roots are not damaged.

Caring for roses after the winter

If no more severe frosts are to be expected, you can remove the fir green and the piled earth again at the end of March / beginning of April. You should then straighten tall trunks and remove crown pads if necessary. Then it is already time for the maintenance cut. How best to proceed and what about the Care of roses If you have to pay attention to anything else in the course of the year, we will explain it to you again in detail in our special article.