How far do you prune the roses to. And will it help or hurt to mulch them after they are pruned for the wint?

Question

i have long tea stem roses for the first year. now that fall is coming i need to know what to do now!

Answer 1

if you prune lightly now you may get an autumn flush of roses.  They take approx 6 to 8 weeks to flower after pruning.  Don't prune again until spring, winter pruning encourages shoots that get frosted off and 'knock the plant'.  Prune approx 1/3 off to outward facing buds in spring.

It is an excellent idea to mulch.  Keeps the soil moist and warmer over winter and in the case of roses keeps the fungal diseases that are in the soil away from the roses.    

Answer 2

You can mulch anytime during the year.  Mulch before a freeze to give the roses a little extra protection.   Do not prune in the fall or you will force new growth from the plant that may die over winter.  Wait until spring to prune.

Answer 3

You didn't say where you live, so I live in Co. and we get snow. I have 43 rose bushes and when fall comes I prune them down to about 2 feet put straw around them. The straw protect the roots and then in the spring I cut all the old dead leaves and branches out. I have beautiful roses all summer long. I also feed them at least every month during the summer.

Answer 4

I live in zone 5/6 and have long stemmed rose called Camelot. I don't do any thing to winterize this rose. I gets stronger every year with just basic care. But some of the other roses are more temperamental.

It is important what zone you live in because it will determine what care it gets for the winter.

There isn't only one way to winterize all your roses. How your rose fares in winter depends on a number of factors--the weather, the plant's location in the garden and, of course, the type of rose it is. Some varieties are more naturally hardy than others. Temperate zones (Zone 6 and warmer) are easier on roses, and roses planted close to the house are more sheltered than those out in the open. Check with your nursery or local rose society if you aren't sure whether your varieties are hardy. If there's a graft on your rose bush, it's a newer variety and probably not hardy.

Here is a site I hope will be useful for you.

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/shows_sgn/artic...

Answer 5

It depends where you live. i live in Central Canada and every fall we cut off just the  top branches we mulch in late October and put Rose Cones around the roses to protect them from harsh blizzards and freezing rains.  They come up fine in the spring.