As the colder months get closer, you may be wondering what to do with your Easy Elegance® rose that you’ve planted in a container. Roses planted in a container are much more exposed to the harsher conditions in winter, so it’s important to keep them protected.
Overwintering your container roses is easy and keeping your roses happy until next spring is a simple process. We’re walking through all the steps you need to take to enjoy your roses for many seasons to come.
If you fertilized your Easy Elegance® roses, we recommend that you stop doing so in late summer. Fertilizer encourages new growth, which will be damaged by the cold temps that are around the corner. To learn more, check out our blog on fertilizing to learn the best times of year to give your roses that extra boost.
Deadheading is the process of removing spent blooms, which makes room for the rose’s rebloom. You should also stop deadheading towards the end of summer to allow your rose stems to harden and, for some rose varieties like Oscar Peterson™ Rose, form rose hips. Rose hips provide great fall interest, and you can even make jelly with them! Check out our video on rose hip jelly to learn more.
Move your containers into a space where they’ll be protected for the winter. Roses in containers are more susceptible to the cold temps than roses in the landscape. If you’re in a cold region and able to move your container, place your container in an unheated indoor space like a garage. If you’re in a warmer region, you can keep the container outside, but make sure to place it in a protected space to shield it from any sudden or drastic changes with the elements.
If your container is too large to move, don’t worry! You can keep it safe through winter. Start by placing a thick layer of mulch around the base of the container, then wrap the sides of the container in a thick material like burlap or an old blanket.
Another way to keep your roses protected is to plant them in the ground for the winter season. Fall is still a great time to get your plants in the ground. Head to our blog on fall planting to learn even more.
You won’t have to water your containers much through the winter. Once a month or so be sure to give them about a cup of water or one snowballs worth right at the base of the plant.
And there you have it! Your gorgeous container rose is ready for its winter nap and prepared to bloom once the weather warms up. For those with roses in the ground, head to our blog on overwintering roses in the landscape to learn how to prep them for winter.
