Looking After Your Roses In November
Historically, November marks the start of the colder winter months where your roses will once again return to their dormant state, however after the warmer summer we have seen this year, you might still have some roses in bloom.
Whatever phase of their growth cycle you find your roses in, there are plenty of jobs you can be doing in the garden to keep your roses happy and healthy.
Keep reading to see what our Rosarian’s will be doing with their roses throughout November.
Remove Any Dead Wood
By November you will be able to see any dead wood on your rose plant that needs removing. You will know it is dead if the stems have gone brittle or ‘woody’ and don’t have any leaves. Removing these will make the plant look tidier for the winter and will allow better air circulation.
Start Pruning Your Climbers and Ramblers
You can start pruning your climbing and rambling roses in November once the weather turns colder. This is usually around mid-November for most of the UK, but can be earlier in colder more northerly areas. The key is to wait until the roses go into their dormant state, which usually happens when the weather is consistently 5 degrees or lower.
Want to learn more about pruning your roses?
Click here for our Rosarian’s pruning advice
Tidy Up Foliage And Any Hips
Whilst it is too early to start pruning your other roses, you can tidy them up by removing any fallen leaves from the ground and cut off any diseased leaves so they don’t contaminate the soil. If you would like you can also remove any rose hips that have gone soft and mushy, before they start to drop to the floor.
If you would like to learn more about rose hips, click here
Protect Big Shrubs From Wind Rock
If you haven’t already, it is important to protect your larger shrubs from wind rock. Our Rosarian’s would recommend doing this by cutting down the top of the plant or by securing the stems back to a fence or structure for support. If you choose to trim your stems down, just remember not to do anything too drastic, as it is a bit early to do a hard prune on shrub roses.
Build Up Mulch Around The Roots
Before the winter weather takes hold, it is crucial to check the base of your roses, for root exposure. If the roots are starting to become visible from the soil, you will need to build up a mulch layer around them to protect them from the cold. You can do this using compost, well-rotted manure or other types of mulch.
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