How to Protect Roses During Winter in Canada

As the seasons change and we watch the last beautiful petals drift to the chilly garden floor, it’s time to talk about winter protection for roses. Preparing roses for winter is an important part of fall garden clean up. We lay out all of the details you need to know for winterizing roses in Canada.

General Tips on How to Winterize Roses

• Don’t worry about pruning until spring. Pruning a rose is a signal for the rose to start growing again (especially in a milder climate). Now is the time for roses to go dormant, so save all pruning for spring. If necessary, trim some of the longest canes. With exceptionally tall canes on larger plants, winter winds can rock the long canes and disturb the plant base. For this reason, you can prune about 1/3 of the top of any tall rose plant to prevent wind damage.
• Rose foliage will naturally drop at this time of year. Clean up any fallen leaves, but don’t intentionally strip your rose of its foliage. This sends a message to the plant to continue pushing out new leaves.
• If your rose is planted in a particularly windy area, try to add some extra protection by mounding up extra soil or mulch on top of the lower canes.

Zones 2-4

• Tender roses such as Hybrid Teas, Floribundas, and Grandifloras will require winter protection. Hardy shrub roses should do well without excess protection but can be mounded up with soil around the base in the first few years after planting.
• For tender roses, cut canes back so that about 70 cm (28”) of cane is remaining. Remove dead leaves from the bed and place a plastic collar around each bush. Fill with dry soil so that the rose bush is covered up to about 40 cm (16”). Water your mound of soil well and then cover with straw or wood chips for an added layer of protection. This should provide adequate protection against strong winds.
• Climbing roses need to be removed from any structures or supports, laid onto the ground and then covered with 30 cm (12”) of soil or peat moss. If possible, do not trim back the canes.

Zones 5-6

• Tender roses such as Hybrid Teas, Floribundas, and Grandifloras will require winter protection. Hardy shrub roses should do well without excess protection but can be mounded up with soil around the base in the first few years after planting.
• Prune tall rose bushes back by about 1/3 so the canes will not be vulnerable to heavy winds.
• Remove any dead leaves from the bed. Mound up soil around the crown and lower canes to about 20 cm (8”) tall. You can add further protection by placing leaves, branches, straw or wood chips on top of the mound.

Zones 7-9

• In general, a rose should do well without added protection during a typical winter in these climate zones, but protection can always be added for extra tender roses.
• With very tall rose bushes, prune canes back by about 1/3 so that that the canes will not be vulnerable to heavy winds.
• For extra tender varieties, mound up soil around the lower canes up to a height of about 20 cm (8”) tall.

A Note On Container Roses

• Container roses are prone to freezing and thawing and are put under a lot more stress compared to roses in the ground. To shield them from some of this stress, place roses in containers on your patio or tuck them in close to the house. The drop in temperature is usually not a problem, however the cold wind can be hard for roses to endure. Try double potting plants or wrapping the pots in burlap to help protect them.
  • You can also move your potted roses (if possible) into an unheated garage, shed or barn. A window is not necessary. Note that if roses are under cover over winter, they will need a few cups of water every few weeks. Your rose can remain on the dryer side during the winter but cannot dry out completely. No fertilizer while dormant.
• Special tip for protecting container roses – if you have large trees on your property and you live in a milder climate, you can move your container roses under the protection of the tree and out of the wind. Under the heavy growth of trees, roses in pots will find more protection from the elements.
• Special tip for protecting container roses – if you live in an apartment or townhouse and your roses typically sit out on your balcony, move the rose to a corner spot of your balcony close to the building and surround it with other larger pots to add an extra layer of protection.

A Note on David Austin Roses

• For roses planted in windy or exposed areas, prune back shrub roses by 1/3 of their size in mid to late October once the last of the roses have faded. This will help prevent damage due to rocking during heavy winds.
• Apply a thick layer of mulch around the base of your David Austin rose once the ground begins to freeze. In zones 3-5, mound soil over the crown of your rose for added protection.
• In harsh winter climates, you may even gently wrap your rose with breathable material like burlap to protect against frost damage. Another option would be to build a frame around your David Austin rose and fill the frame with insulating materials such as straw or leaves for added protection.

A Note on Tree Roses

• Tree roses are slightly more tender and vulnerable as the graft is so far off the ground and the slender stems are susceptible to rocking with heavy wind.
• Use burlap to wrap the tall stem of the tree rose and trim the top cluster of canes by 1/3 to make them less top-heavy. Drive a metal stake into the ground next to the tree rose and attach the trunk and tall stem with flexible foam-wrapped zip ties.
• This will help the trunk of the tree rose remain strong under the added stress of wind and snow. If it snows throughout the winter, shake the top of the tree rose to get the excess weight off the branches.

Putting your roses to bed for the season by adding adequate protection from dry winter winds will give you peace of mind during the long, cold months to come. Winterizing rose bushes look different depending on where you live. Learn which hardiness zone you are a part of to take the best course of action. As the rain pelts down here on the west coast of British Columbia, I know that we are enjoying our last frost-free days of the fall season. Having prepared and thought through winter protection for roses in my backyard, we can welcome winter with open arms and enjoy the slower pace that it brings.