Many rosarians find the months of November and December to be hard. Even though the growing season is coming to an end, hibernation hasn't started yet. During this time of year, some of us just don't know what to do with ourselves or our rose bushes.
Since your bushes haven't gone to sleep yet, they still need some care from you. Water is still the most important thing they need, so keep the soil around their roots moist. If they need it, give them a good soak, but don't water them too much.
Your roses need water to make it through the winter, and having well-hydrated roots will help them stay safe when the cold weather comes.
Stop all pruning and deadheading so you don't make the plant grow new leaves. You should have stopped applying organics and fertiliser last month, and you don't want to do it again now. Your goal is to keep your roses healthy while also getting them to start preparing for their winter rest.
Spray at least once a month to keep black spot from spreading. In late fall, spider mites are still around, so keep an eye out for them. When you see signs of pests, spritz your flowers and leaves with water. Also, aphids are out and about, so have a bottle of soapy water ready to chase them away.
Pick off any leaves that look sick and rake up any leaves that have fallen in your rose beds. This not only makes your garden look better, but it also gets rid of any disease residue that may still be on the leaves.
This is also a good time to get ready for next year's growing season by making new rose holes and rose beds. During the winter, they will have time to "mellow out," and in the spring, they will be ready to accept new bushes.
Start putting mulch around your more fragile plants, like "St. Patrick," "Color Magic," "Oklahoma," and "Signature." You can wait until next month to plant your hardier plants. See "Winter Gardening" for tips on how to mulch.
During the season, you worked hard to keep your roses healthy and beautiful. If you did everything right, you probably got a lot of beautiful flowers in return. Your hard work for the year is almost done, but don't forget about your roses in these important last months.
