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Essential Care Steps to Ensure Healthy Roses Year-Round
Bob Nolen
6/3/20262 min read
Winter Tasks for Repeat-Blooming Roses
By Bob Nolen, Sabine Master Gardener
Repeat-blooming roses, such as hybrid teas, floribundas, and some shrub varieties, provide beautiful blooms throughout the growing season. To keep them healthy and encourage vibrant flowers in spring and summer, it’s important to follow specific winter care routines. Below are the key winter tasks that will help protect and prepare your repeat-blooming roses for the upcoming season. (Note that once- blooming roses usually don’t require as much pruning and should be done as needed in early summer after the annual bloom.)
1. Pruning
You will need bypass pruners, and bypass loppers as well if you have older bushes with larger canes. “Bypass” cutters have two sharpened blades that pass over each other to make a clean cut in a scissor action. Sharp blades ensure clean cuts. Clean your tools with alcohol or a 10% bleach solution before and after pruning. If you prune a bush with a suspected disease problem, sanitize your tools before moving to the next plant. Wear gloves and long sleeves to protect your skin from thorns.
Begin by cutting dead canes and any that are damaged, weak, or spindly. Next trim any canes that are much taller than the plant and reduce the number to 5 to 8 strong, healthy canes. Then prune off about one-third of the height of the bush cutting back to buds that face outward. New shoots will then grow outward, allowing light and air into the interior to promote better blooms.
2. Mulching and Protection
· Apply Mulch: Add a thick layer (2-4 inches) of organic mulch such as compost, bark chips, or shredded leaves around the base. This insulates the roots and moderates soil temperature.
3. Disease and Pest Management
Inspect for Pests: Check roses for signs of overwintering pests and treat as needed using environmentally friendly methods.
Prevent Disease: Dispose of all pruned material to reduce the risk of fungal diseases like black spot or powdery mildew.