overwintering roses in containers
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overwintering roses in containers

I'm in zone 3. If I plant a rose in a container,
how do I store it for the winter? Thanks.

Doug says that he can't tell you where to store it but he can tell you that you don't want to leave it outside. The trick is to store it so the roots don't get to -5F. And not to let the soil dry bone dry, right desert like.

The roots want to be "just damp" but not swamping or dry. And the roots don't want to freeze dead-solid. So keep them around 35-40 for best results.

Or you can dig the rose out of the container and bury it 12-inches deep in your garden. Dig it up again in the spring and repot.

Or treat the rose as an annual in your Zone 3 garden.

Good luck

Comments for
overwintering roses in containers

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Overwintering potted roses
by: Elaine

I don't think taking the rose out of its container & planting it in the ground will stress it at all if you make sure you wait until it is dormant. Doug has this advise posted on his article about overwintering. In the spring, carefully dig aroudn the plant as soon as the ground has thawed. The new growth has not likely started yet & little to no shock should occur.
Moving Roses
by: Art R

I've been doing it for several years in zone 5. It reached -20F this year. I have them in large pots (20 " diameter.). I put them in the garage when outside temps fall into the teens in Nov. I have them on movers dollies so in early spring I move them out for sun on warmer days, then out for the season. You might try "Buck" roses from Heirloom. They have no bud union and have worked outside for me. They were developed to grow in IOWA. They suggest some protection at zone 4.
overwintering rose
by: Doug

When this rose goes dormant, you can arrange the root any which way you like and it will be fine. Burying it in the pot is equally fine - it just takes a bigger hole (and don't bury a clay pot or you might wind up with a bunch of shards in the spring).

Given it's a zone 3 - we're not worried about setting the rose back at all, we're worried about getting it deep enough so the tender bud union doesn't die.
suggestion for overwintering container roses
by: tim

I am not sure digging it out of the container and burying it is the best solution. Not sure the size of the container in discussion here but why not leave it in the container and bury it. Disturbing the root ball by digging or pulling it out of the container is going to stress the rose and slow down the growth for the upcoming season.

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