Overwintering Roses in Pots

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Roses in pots require special care to overwinter in cold climates where the temperature falls below zero.
 
If you have some area where you could bury them at least 12-18' deep, I guarantee they will survive the winter. I mean cover them up like you were digging a grave. Lay them on their side in the hole, pot and all. Line the hole with shredded leaves or wood shavings.  Make sure they go dormant before you bury them. Dig the hole in early fall and have it ready in case the real cold weather catches you off guard.

If you have no access to a place to bury them, then I suggest you let them go dormant and store them in an unheated garage. They will be ok as long as the temp in the garage doesn't drop below 20 degrees. If it does then wrap an old quilt or something like that around them when it drops below 20 degrees.

Remove it when the temp goes back up. Make sure you don't let the soil dry out. You don't want to keep the soil wet but if the soil is allowed to dry out so will the bushes and they will die. If you have room in the garage, set the pot in a large tub and surround it with wood shavings, compost, soil or shredded leaves piling them high over the bud union.

Keep them away from a fiber glass door or window. Light coming thru will warm up the plant and cause premature bud swelling which could get frozen at night and also kill your rose. These methods are extreme but I feel they offer the best choices considering.

Or you could drive down to my house and let me store them for you over the winter in my poly house. Human beings are constantly trying to artificially over winter roses in situations where the odds are against them. All we can do is everything possible and PRAY.

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