Gardeners may be spending less time outdoors now that the weather is getting colder, but taking the time to prepare roses for winter will help them come back stronger next year.

It is extremely important to fertilize flowers to keep them healthy, but this should never be done in November, as fertilizer encourages new growth that has no chance of surviving the harsh cold.

If roses are fertilized at this time of year, the new growth is much more vulnerable to frost damage, which will weaken the plant or even kill it altogether.

Fertilizing in November can also cause roses to go dormant, wasting their energy and causing them to struggle to stay healthy and bloom in the spring.

Instead, Carolyn Parker, rose garden expert and founder of Notes of roses, said gardeners should add mulch around roses because it will protect them from frost and make the plant “much happier.”

Mulching is a gardening task that involves putting organic matter around a plant to help insulate the soil and protect its roots from intense cold. Not only does this prevent plants from being damaged, but it also helps plants retain water and smother weeds so you don’t have to worry about those simple garden jobs in the middle of winter .

Carolyn said: “Soil without mulch is like without a cover on a cold night and weeds take over in no time without mulch. »

She added, “My mulch of choice has always been shredded redwood bark. Wood shavings, leaves, grape seeds, small stones, hay, pine straw (needles), cocoa husks are also good mulch. Everything, except the stones, decomposes into a beautiful humus.

During the winter, the mulch will decompose naturally, releasing nutrients into the soil very slowly, so the roses are more likely to have larger, healthier flowers in the spring.

All you need to do is tidy up your rose bushes by removing any dead leaves or weeds around the plant to reduce the risk of pests during the winter.

Then choose a natural organic material of your choice and apply it as a layer of mulch around the base of your roses.

Apply a four- to six-inch layer around the base of the roses and over an area slightly wider than the plant so that the surrounding soil is completely covered.

The best time to mulch roses is after the first frost, when the temperature drops below freezing, when the roses are completely dormant.

Keep an eye on the roses throughout the winter, as you may need to apply more mulch as it slowly decomposes, then dig up the mulch once spring arrives.

Taking the time to mulch the roses will prevent the roots from freezing so that they are guaranteed to not only survive the winter but also be much healthier so that your flowers will have a head start next spring.