As another rose season begins to wind down you have the chance to sit back and enjoy the fruits of your flower gardening season. But before you completely relax you still have to know how to take care of your rose bushes for the winter and to make the necessary preparations to ensure that whatever type of roses you have that they will be ready to bloom again next spring.

You can actually begin your winter rose care by taking care of roses all year long. During the peak growing seasons of June, July and August, regular rose bush care and maintenance will not only keep your plants healthy but will also strengthen them for the perils of winter. Keeping them free of insects and diseases will increase their likelihood of survival through the dormant winter season. Regular pruning of dead branches and canes and keeping the area around them clear of debris will make them happy and blooming.

You can continue this maintenance throughout the fall as many roses will bloom until October. Once the weather really begins to turn it is necessary to do one final clean up in November, in many areas this is just after Thanksgiving, and provide your roses with their special winter protection. One basic flower gardening tip is to ensure that your winter rose bush care involves some form of protection so that the plants are safe from winter cold and freezing.

A good layer of mulch at the bottom of the rose bush is sufficient for most roses but some people do prefer more elaborate measures. Smaller tea roses may need extra protection like wire or meshing or a rose cone and climbing roses will need some additional insulation. Pruning a few of the older, dead branches is okay but it is not necessary to trim roses for every winter season. You can always do this in the spring when it’s easy to see the growing and active canes.

Your roses will need one more good watering after the first frost of winter arrives. That will help keep the plant from drying out on the inside during cold and windy weather. After winter freezing sets in hard you can add a little compost at the crown of the plant, but not more than a foot. Try not to disturb the existing soil when you do this.

You can get more winter gardening tips and advice for caring for your beloved roses during winter by asking your local gardening expert. They would be more than happy to provide you with winter rose care suggestions and advice.

Then you can finally sit back and watch as your rose bushes slide silently into their winter sleep. You can cuddle up safe and warm in the knowledge that when the spring arrives they will be green and growing and anxious to provide you with the pleasure of the blooms and aroma. Enjoy your rest. You and your roses deserve it.