Roses are the quintessential garden favourite, known for their enchanting fragrance and show-stopping blooms. While winter might tempt us to retreat indoors with a warm cuppa, it’s the most crucial season for rose care. Planting, pruning, tidying, and spraying roses in winter lays the foundation for their spectacular performance in spring and summer.
Prepare Soil
Garden: Winter is the ideal time to prepare your soil. Add dolomite lime to balance soil pH and sweeten the ground for existing roses. Compost is also essential, improving soil structure and nutrient availability.
For new roses:
- Prepare beds with deep digging to enhance drainage and aeration.
- Mix compost and organic fertilisers like blood and bone to enrich the soil.
- Create a mound in the planting hole to spread the roots, ensuring the graft sits just above soil level.
- Avoid fertilisers for the first month to protect tender roots.
Pots: Use a premium potting mix formulated for roses. Ensure the container has excellent drainage, as roses dislike waterlogged conditions.
Feed
Avoid fertilising in winter, as roses are dormant and won't absorb nutrients. Compost can be applied anytime to improve soil health and prepare for the growing season.
Garden: After August, feed roses with a half-cup of rose-specific fertiliser every three months (excluding winter).
Pots: Feed in early spring and late summer with Burnet’s Gold Rose Food, or Oderings Total Replenish.
Pruning Roses
Winter pruning is essential for maintaining healthy, manageable plants:
Bush Roses: Prune back half the growth, leaving 3-5 strong canes. Remove weak or intertwining branches and make cuts above outward-facing buds.
Standard Roses: Prune to maintain shape, leaving 6-8 canes.
Climbing Roses: Lightly prune in winter, with major pruning done after flowering. Remove old canes and shorten the remaining ones. Fan canes out along a trellis and cut side branches back to 2-3 buds.
Always use clean, sharp secateurs to prevent disease spread.
Spraying Roses
Spraying is vital to keep roses healthy and free from pests and diseases. Winter spraying routine:
- In May/June, spray with lime sulphur to defoliate leaves and remove scale, moss, and lichen. Reapply after two weeks.
- Two weeks later, apply copper spray to combat fungus
- One week later, spray with horticultural oil for insects like scales and red mites.
- Repeat steps two and three every two weeks for two to three cycles.
Watering & Mulching
Roses need consistent moisture, especially during the first six months after planting. Deep soak rather than surface watering to encourage strong root growth. Mulching around the base helps retain soil moisture and suppress weeds.
Protection
Roses are hardy but benefit from being shielded from harsh winds. Plant them in sunny locations with at least six hours of sunlight daily, ensuring good air circulation to deter fungal issues. Use trellises or stakes for support in exposed areas.
Roses commonly get bugs like aphids and diseases like blackspot. To diagnose and help determine what to spray, bring in a few leaves in a zip-lock bag.
Garden Expert Tip
Roses flower on new season growth, so regular pruning and care ensure healthier plants and more prolific blooms. Remember, the time and care you invest in winter will reward you with a garden full of breathtaking roses in spring.
Explore our range of roses, secateurs, and sprays online, and don’t hesitate to contact us at gardenersclub@oderings.co.nz for any rose-related queries. Transform your garden into a fragrant paradise.
