Fall Planting Tips

Get Planting (Fall Style).

Fall is a great time to plant roses.  I always say, if it wasn’t for fall planting, I wouldn’t have any roses in my own garden.  While that may be a be an occupational hazard, given what spring in the nursery typically looks like, fall really is a great time for roses.   To begin with, fall’s cooler temperatures and increased moisture reduce transplant stress on new roses.  Even better, the combination with lower light intensity and still warm soil temperatures make perfect conditions for your roses to develop their root systems and ease into dormancy.

Here is a little bit of my handy work from this fall.  As you can see, I really don’t do anything too special.  I choose plants that are zone appropriate for my area and I try to give the roses 6 weeks until a hard freeze.  In Colorado, freeze dates are always a little tough to gauge.  I typically rely on USDA data and then get overly optimistic that winter will be late.  When I inevitably run into an early freeze, I simply cover the rose with a bucket for extra short term protection.  I also mulch the roses pretty heavily (6″-8″) when I plant and I leave it on through the winter. One last tip, hold off on pruning and fertilizing your roses until they start budding out in the spring.  Typically this method gives your plants a great chance to establish their root system before going dormant for the winter.  Best of all, your roses will have a bit of a leg up emerging in the spring.