• slide
  • slide
  • slide
  • slide
  • slide
  • slide
  • slide
  • slide
Winter-Damage-to-Roses.jpg

Winter Damage to Roses

I garden in the north.  In late winter I went out and took a look at my rose garden.   All the stems look brown, no green anywhere even slightly.   Are they dead? 

A stressful growing season, dry fall, extremely cold winter, fluctuating winter temperatures or any combination of these can cause rose canes to die. Don't give up on your roses. If they are hybrid teas and you planted them with the graft several inches below the soil surface they may be alright. Many years ago we had major rose dieback.  The hybrid tea roses died back to the ground but eventually (mid June) sent up new growth from the graft union and eventually flowered. If the graft is killed, new growth often sprouts from the hardy rootstock. It is usually stouter, thornier and may not bloom. If it does bloom the flower is different than the grafted rose you purchased. Shrub roses and hybrid teas on their own roots have been known to dieback to the ground and still recover. This is going to be a spring of wait and see for you. As temperatures remain at or above freezing you can start your pruning. Look at the inside of the canes to determine if they are living or dead. Canes that are brown in the center are dead and can be pruned back to the point where the insides are white. This is also a good time to remove diseased or brittle canes. Then wait and hope for the best.

Related

Upcoming Live Events
& Webinars


April 3, 2024
Garden Trends 

Franklin Public Library, Franklin, WI

April 10, 2024
FREE WEBINAR

Container Gardening Throughout the Year
Register now

April 11, 2024
FREE WEBINAR

7 Steps to Managing Water Where it Falls in Your Yard
Register now

April 17, 2024
Landscaping for Birds: 
A Gardener’s Perspective

Glendale, WI 

April 18, 2024
Be a Waterwise Gardener
Golden Rondelle Theater, Racine, WI
Register now

April 20, 2024
Pruning Hydrangeas and Other Shrubs 
Pasquesi Home & Gardens, Lake Bluff, IL

April 27, 2024
Ridges & Rivers Book Festival
Viroqua, WI

April 28, 2024
Flowering Trees and Shrubs
Ebert's Greenhouse Village, Ixonia, WI

May 1, 2024
FREE WEBINAR

Ornamental Fruits and Vegetables
Register now

May 9, 2024
FREE WEBINAR

How to Plant Your Rain Garden
Register now

WATCH ON-DEMAND WEBINARS

Learn More

Book an Appearance

Learn More

Enter to Win The Birds & Blooms' Ultimate Gardening Guide !

ENTER NOW