Your rose garden is a beautiful addition to your home. You've spent hours planning, prepping, watering, growing and enjoying. But now it's starting to get a bit chilly and you're worried that the cold weather might ruin all of your hard work. Well don't let your rose garden get the winter blues. Learn how to prepare and protect your rose plants for the winter. Some rose bushes, such as the shrub rose, can withstand the winter cold better than others. But it's better to make sure that your roses are protected, rather than risking permanent damage to your plants.

Contrary to popular belief, roses aren't damaged by just the cold weather. It is actually the freezing out and re-thawing that causes permanent damage to your garden. These rapid temperature changes that can ruin all of your hard work.

The most important thing you can do to winter-proof your rose bushes, is to make sure they are healthy when winter arrives. A thriving bush has a much higher chance of surviving than an already weak or compromised plant. So be sure to maintain the condition of your plant throughout the year. This includes proper rose pruning techniques and protecting against rose insects by using pesticides. It also important to make sure any debris is cleared from the bottom of the plant. Anything near the plant can become diseased over the winter and spread to the rose plant.

When beginning your anti-winter regimen, the most important thing is mounding. This is creating a mound of soil at least twelve inches high around the trunk of the plant. This extra soil will insulate the rose plant from cold temperatures or winds that might damage it. You can also purchase insulation covers and cones at nurseries or other plant-care stores. Timing is also important in this step. Because cold spells can come unseasonably early or late, it is important to make sure the rose plants are protected at the right times. Generally, your rose plant itself will tell you the proper time, by shedding its leaves. Or you can also build your mound as soon as temperatures begin to become somewhat frosty at night. Be sure to add a long-lasting pest repellent into the mound, since the plants will be covered for several months.

The Styrofoam cones sold in greeneries are often a popular choice in winter-protecting roses. However, they are not an adequate replacement for mounding. If you plan on using a cone protector, do not place it any lower than eight inches into your mound. Generally it is a good idea to create the mound first, and then add the cone.

Removal of the cones and mound from the plant are also important. If done too early, the plant may end up exposed to cold temperatures or winds. If left on too long, they may prevent the rose plant from receiving proper air circulation and springtime moisture. Any of these may prevent the rose plant from blooming to its full potential in the spring. A good idea is to purchase a cone with a removable lid for sunny days. Or if using a Styrofoam cone, punching holes in the top to aid in circulation. An ideal time to remove any cones or mounds is after all possibility of frost is gone, but nothing on the rose plant has begun to bloom. This will ensure proper springtime growth.

By learning how to prepare and protect your rose plants for the winter, you can make certain that your roses will avoid succumbing to the winter-time blues.

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