Roses can be delicate creatures in winter. Tea, grandiflora, and floribunda roses are especially so, as they are bred for beauty more than hardiness. Some climbing roses and miniature roses can be injured in winter as well. Hard freezes, ice, and snow will damage or break canes, making plants more susceptible to pests and disease. Most modern roses are also grafted onto the rootstock of another variety, meaning you could lose your rose entirely if the graft union is damaged.

Covering roses in winter will protect them from damage so you can enjoy their sweet perfume for years to come. We’ll tell you when and where in the South you need to cover roses for winter, as well as the proper steps to winterize your rose garden.

Should You Cover Roses In Winter?

Southerners may not need to cover their roses in winter depending on where they live. Rose breeder Jackson & Perkins recommends winterizing roses in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 7 and cooler, which includes the Middle and Upper South. In Zone 8, cover roses if severe weather is in the forecast. In the Coastal and Tropical South (Zones 9 to 11), roses typically don’t go fully dormant in winter. If you live in those milder regions, you don’t need to cover your roses.

Here’s how to know which type of rose you are growing and whether it needs winter protection:

• Old garden roses: Also known as antique roses, old garden roses can grow into large shrubs and usually bloom just once a year. They are exceptionally hardy and shouldn’t require winter protection in the South.
• Wild roses: Wild or species roses have simple, five-petaled flowers that are usually pink. These plants don’t require special care in winter.
• Climbing roses: These ramblers have extra-long canes and include both grandiflora and floribunda varieties. Though many are hardy to Zone 5, climbing roses will benefit from winter protection.
• Hybrid tea roses: Each long stem of a hybrid tea rose bears a single flower, making it a favorite for bouquets. They are grafted roses and should be covered in winter.
• Grandiflora and floribunda roses: Both of these types have showy clusters of blooms that can appear for weeks. Cover these grafted roses in winter.
• Miniature roses: Some miniature roses can use winter protection, but be careful not to smother the plants.
• Landscape and shrub roses: These low-maintenance beauties hug the ground or grow into hedges about 5 feet tall. Most are quite hardy and don’t need much winter protection other than a thick layer of mulch.

When To Cover Roses In Winter

Roses should not be covered until the plants begin going dormant. Wait until after the first frost or two causes leaves to begin dropping. Depending on how far South you live, this could be as late as November or December.

Steps To Prepare Your Roses For Winter

Begin to prepare your roses for winter in the fall months. Stop fertilizing and deadheading plants by early fall so that the plants don’t produce tender new growth late in the season. Allowing the flowers to form rose hips also encourages the plants to enter dormancy.

Wait for a couple of good frosts and for leaves to start dropping before you cut your plants back for winter. Most roses should be cut back to 36 inches from the ground with sharp pruners. Climbing roses should only be cut back to half their height. Remove dead or diseased canes while pruning. Then rake up fallen leaves from the ground to prevent diseases from overwintering.

If you live in a mostly frost-free climate, you can wait to prune your rose plants until January or February as you will not be covering the plants.

How To Cover Roses In Winter

Now that you’ve cut back your roses and cleaned up fallen leaves, it’s time to cover the plants. In colder climates, use well-draining soil and straw to insulate your plants. In Zone 7 or 8, pine bark or hardwood mulch will suffice. Leaves and pine straw are not as insulating and won’t provide adequate protection.

Zone 6

In Zone 6, cover the crown of hybrid tea, floribunda, and other grafted roses with 6 inches of well-draining soil, then add an insulating layer of straw on top. You may need to use less material with miniature roses so that you don’t smother the plants. If you live on a windy site, loosely tie canes together with twine to prevent wind damage.

Cover the base of climbing roses with 6 inches of soil. Wrap climbing roses with burlap and tie the canes together with twine to help keep stems from breaking.

Tree roses are more difficult to protect because the graft union is high up on the main stem. Dig out one side of the rose’s root ball down to about 12 inches deep. Then shift the plant onto its side and cover it with well-draining soil. Add an insulating layer of straw on top.

Zones 7-8

In Zone 7 or 8, skip the soil and cover the crown of your roses with 6 to 8 inches of pine bark or hardwood mulch instead. Make sure the graft union is covered by mulch. Climbing roses may be tied with twine to help keep the stems from breaking over winter.

Overwintering Potted Roses

Container roses are especially susceptible to winter damage since their roots are exposed to the cold. One approach is to bury the pots underground, and mound soil or mulch over top to cover the graft union. The second approach is to move containers to a more protected spot. Wait until the roses are dormant, then move them to an unheated, sheltered location like a garage or shed. The space must be cool enough to keep the plants from breaking dormancy. Water lightly throughout winter and then bring containers back outdoors in spring.

When To Remove Winter Protection

Remove excess mulch, straw, and soil when roses begin to break dormancy in spring. You’ll know the plants are waking up when buds begin to swell in response to warming temperatures. Check the weather forecast first, though, as you’ll want to keep insulation in place if a cold snap is expected. Leave graft unions covered until the danger of frost has passed.