Rose care in autumn – planting & caring for roses

They don’t really need special attention, because that’s actually the wrong expression. You simply need targeted treatment, tailored to the growth phase a rose goes through in winter. How does the rose grow in winter and what does winter time mean for your rose? Only from this knowledge can the correct treatment of a rose before winter be inferred.

Roses in winter

Your rose will take a break over the winter; it has now passed the growth phase in which it has produced new shoots, many flowers and from these in turn the fruits and seeds from which the next generation is to emerge. To us it looks as if the rose “really lives” only in this growth phase, but it is not at all, the hibernation is an equally important time in the life cycle of a rose. In this resting phase, the rose really rests first of all, gathers new strength in the entire supply system, which it urgently needs for the growth phase in the next year. In addition, she uses this time to let the shoots that were newly set up last season mature, to make the cells so strong that they survive the winter cold unscathed and are so strong next year,

From this point of view, it follows that the best way to help your roses hibernate is to give them the best chance of getting the most out of their winter rest. Amazingly, this works best by doing a little less than is usually recommended and giving the roses less nutrients than you usually do – so it’s less about paying special attention to the roses than simply (just) autumn to do the right thing:

Winter preparation of garden roses

The following points belong to the rose care in autumn, so that your roses get a good start into the winter and get through the cold season beneficially:

• Roses should go into the winter break well cared for.
• That means not more fertilizing, but less: immediately after flowering, the summer fertilization is stopped.
• The fertilizer given over the summer contains nutrients that promote growth and flowering, which is now no longer desired.
• Because even the last shoots should be able to mature enough by winter to withstand the cold and not grow any further.
• For this reason, your roses should be given special fertilizers at the beginning of autumn to support the maturation of the plant cells.
• Such an autumn fertilizer hardly contains any nitrogen, which is responsible for stimulating growth and the formation of shoots.
• On the other hand, it consists of a mixture of nutrients that is particularly rich in potassium.
• Potassium accumulates in the water reservoirs of the cells, which lowers the freezing point of the cell fluid.
• The rose can therefore tolerate more cold, and potassium generally improves the plant metabolism.
• Your rose is also better protected against pests that attack in winter.

If you don’t really feel like worrying about the composition and environmentally friendly production of a purchased NKP fertilizer, you can make autumn fertilization much easier – provided you have compost that you can use. With this compost you can do two work steps in one: you pile up the roses with it, so you put on your winter coat, so to speak, and you have done the autumn fertilization with this “winter coat” at the same time. The nutrients from the compost are slowly broken down by soil organisms and, with every rainfall over the winter, get exactly where they should be, namely to the deep roots of the roses.

Fall pruning for roses?

You will often read that shrub roses should be pruned in autumn. This advice is only justified in problematic cases:

• Really healthy roses should ideally go into the winter break in full leaves (with all shoots).
• If you prune them just a little too late, or if winter comes earlier than you thought, the pruning can cause problems.
• Then the rose can no longer close the cuts sufficiently, so it would go into winter with “open wounds”.
• In addition, the old shoots are also a winter protection for the rose, if the shoot tips really freeze away, it is these.
• These shoots are anyway removed in the spring during the annual topiary.
• So now you should limit yourself as much as possible to removing individual shoots that have developed excessive growth.
• In autumn, however, is also the time to carefully examine the roses again for pest infestation.
• Of course, if you find pests, you want to prevent their nests from overwintering in the shoot tips.
• So in this case the rose is now pruned by about a third all around to combat the pests.

Important rose care in autumn: put on winter protection

Do garden roses absolutely need winter protection? It depends, e.g. B. on where you live and on the variety, but it could always get unusually cold and winter protection can never hurt:

• Piling up with compost is a useful maintenance measure
• Roses can take advantage of the nutrients, and warm compost footwear also provides winter protection
• Act quickly when the rose has young shoots, is fully leafy and the temperature suddenly drops sharply
  • Rose needs a crown protection against cold wind and winter sun
• If the ground is threatened with frost, the roots need an insulating layer
• early frosts are not the rule
• It stores nutrients in wood and roots before it sheds its leaves in winter
• Low temperatures and winter sun can then be dangerous for your rose
  • especially if it is not protected by a blanket of snow
• Always pile roses well with soil in the root area
• In case of temperature-sensitive roses, cover this mound afterwards
  • with straw, bubble wrap or a coconut mat
• In the case of grafted roses, the grafting point should be within the insulating layer
• Sun protection in the upper area does not harm even with bare branches
• In the case of long and severe frost, it is important that as little moisture as possible escapes above, otherwise the rose would dry out
• Cover in spring ensures that roses only sprout when there is sufficient light intensity
• until the end of April on the roses, then no more severe frosts are to be feared

Sensitive special form: winter protection for rose stems

With the standard roses, the grafting point is at a very inconvenient height, so they need special winter preparations:

• Rose stems in the garden are therefore quite sensitive to the cold, they need very good protection.
• The coverage just described is sufficient in the root area.
• In the case of the standard roses, however, the stem of the rose should also be wrapped, including the refinement point, which is usually directly under the crown.
• You can wrap the rose stem with coconut mat or straw, wrap it with bubble wrap or several layers of jute.
• The crown of the standard rose cannot be covered well, but it can be wrapped with a jute sack or special foil.
• Very young rose stems with exceptionally flexible stems are laid flat on the ground.
• So you can “pile up” the whole rose, ie cover it with soil, on which an insulating layer of mulch or brushwood is then placed.

Planting or transplanting

The best rose care in autumn will only be successful with a rose that feels comfortable in its location. You decide that when you plant the rose, which is also part of the “rose care in autumn”, because autumn is the best time to plant roses. Planting your rose in autumn will do a lot better than planting it in spring or summer:

• In autumn, the earth is still warmed up like summer, but is usually quite well moistened with rain.
• These are ideal conditions for roses and other trees to grow quickly and well.
• This also gives the plants enough time to form roots in late autumn and in the winter weeks without ground frost.
• These roots can anchor themselves well in the ground until next spring.
• In spring the rose can calmly increase its water and nutrient supply without the stress of transplanting.
• It automatically fits into the natural course of the weather and drifts out at exactly the right time.
• Roses are ready to plant once they have slowed down, a local dealer will tell you when you can pick up the newbies.

But of course, just having the right time to plant is not enough: you would have to put the rose in a rose soil that is convenient for you. So before planting, one should examine and prepare the soil. The right location is required – especially if many grafted roses suffer from pests or diseases in your area, you should consider whether you should plant a real rose. If you live in a rather inhospitable climate zone or if your garden has a rather unfriendly microclimate, you should also attach great importance to purchasing really hardy roses. Again, you should inform yourself about the varieties in question and not rely on the testimony of a retailer.

If a rose repeatedly and despite good rose care does not start the spring with full power in autumn or is frequently afflicted by diseases or pests, you should first check whether you need to change the location, the soil or other conditions. Perhaps your rose can be saved by making changes in the given place or by transplanting it. But maybe it only helps to radically separate from the “weakling”. Then invite yourself to your garden with a healthier, more resilient and more suitable rose for the given circumstances.

Conclusion
The perfect autumn rose care is likely to be less work than you thought. It is more about making it clear to yourself what purpose the autumn care measures have so that you can optimally prepare the rose for the dormant growth. Preparing the roses for winter is anything but unimportant. Ultimately, it depends on it whether the rose can derive maximum benefit from its winter break.