When should I winterize roses?

Penn State Extension says clean up and add winter insulation only after several killing freezes, so the rose has gone dormant. University of Minnesota Extension says protect the crown of hybrid tea, floribunda and English roses once the ground freezes.

How high should I mound soil around a rose for winter?

Penn State Extension says mound well-draining compost, potting mix, clean soil or aged manure so the graft union of a grafted rose is covered by about a foot. University of Minnesota Extension gives 8 to 12 inches of soil or compost over the crown of hybrid teas.

When do I stop fertilizing roses before winter?

Penn State Extension says start monthly feeding in April and stop in August, to reduce new growth that may not harden off before winter. University of Minnesota Extension says stop fertilizing hybrid teas by August 1.

How do I protect a rose in a pot over winter?

Penn State Extension says the easiest option is moving the container into an unheated garage or shed. Otherwise put it in the most sheltered spot outside and insulate the pot and the plant, or bury the pot in the ground once the rose is dormant and before the ground freezes.

When do I take the winter mound off my roses?

Penn State Extension says start in very early spring, once hard freezes are no longer forecast, and remove it gradually, because the lower layers may still be frozen. It warns against pruning too early, since late winter dieback can still happen.

Guides

How to Winterize Roses by Zone: Mounding, Mulch, Timing

How much winter protection a rose needs depends on three things Penn State Extension names: how healthy the plant is going into winter, how exposed its site is, and how its hardiness compares with your zone. A hardy shrub rose may need nothing but mulch. A grafted hybrid tea in a cold garden needs its graft union buried.

Published October 23, 2026 · Cite this page

Which roses need the least protection

Penn State Extension: A rose cultivar that has been specially bred to be hardy in Zone 4 will need little to no added protection when growing in a Zone 7b garden. The greater the gap between the rose’s rating and your zone, and the more sheltered its spot, the less you need to do.

University of Minnesota Extension says hardy shrub roses — Canadian Explorer, Parkland, Northern Accents and rugosa roses — rarely need elaborate winter protection; their genetics do the work. Hybrid tea, floribunda and English roses grow later into fall and need help winding down.

Penn State adds that the graft union (or bud union) of a grafted rose is very vulnerable to cold: if it dies, the whole plant above it dies. Own-root roses may also need protection, depending on their hardiness, but if their canes die back new ones often come from the deep roots.

By zone: the first freeze, and the roses rated for it

The first fall freeze at the median NOAA station in each zone, and the roses this site’s type table rates hardy across the whole zone. A rose rated for a zone much colder than yours is the one Penn State says needs little protection.

Zone	First fall freeze, median	Roses rated hardy here (coldest zone each is rated for)
Zone 3	September 22	Canadian Explorer roses (rated to 3a); Parkland roses (rated to 3a); Rugosa hybrid (rated to 3a)
Zone 4	September 28	Canadian Explorer roses (rated to 3a); Parkland roses (rated to 3a); Rugosa hybrid (rated to 3a); ‘Nearly Wild’ (rated to 4a); ‘Carefree Delight’ (rated to 4a)
Zone 5	October 5	Canadian Explorer roses (rated to 3a); Parkland roses (rated to 3a); Rugosa hybrid (rated to 3a); ‘Nearly Wild’ (rated to 4a); ‘Carefree Delight’ (rated to 4a); Knock Out roses (rated to 5a); Once-blooming climbers and old roses (rated to 5a)
Zone 6	October 17	Canadian Explorer roses (rated to 3a); Parkland roses (rated to 3a); Rugosa hybrid (rated to 3a); ‘Nearly Wild’ (rated to 4a); ‘Carefree Delight’ (rated to 4a); Knock Out roses (rated to 5a); Hybrid tea, floribunda and English roses (rated to 6a); Once-blooming climbers and old roses (rated to 5a)
Zone 7	October 26	Canadian Explorer roses (rated to 3a); Parkland roses (rated to 3a); Rugosa hybrid (rated to 3a); ‘Nearly Wild’ (rated to 4a); ‘Carefree Delight’ (rated to 4a); Knock Out roses (rated to 5a); Hybrid tea, floribunda and English roses (rated to 6a); Once-blooming climbers and old roses (rated to 5a)
Zone 8	November 9	‘Nearly Wild’ (rated to 4a); Knock Out roses (rated to 5a); Hybrid tea, floribunda and English roses (rated to 6a); Once-blooming climbers and old roses (rated to 5a)
Zone 9	December 1	‘Nearly Wild’ (rated to 4a); Knock Out roses (rated to 5a); Hybrid tea, floribunda and English roses (rated to 6a)
Zone 10	January 1	—

The rose ratings are a judgement, shown with their sources on the rose zones page. The freeze date is NOAA’s 1991–2020 first-freeze normal at the median station; the sources say wait for several killing freezes before mounding, so expect to mound some weeks after it. For your own station, use the ZIP lookup below.

When to stop feeding and deadheading

Job	Penn State	University of Minnesota
Stop fertilizing	Feed monthly from April and stop in August, so new growth does not go into winter unhardened	Stop by August 1 (hybrid tea, floribunda and English roses)
Stop deadheading	Early fall, so hips form; that encourages dormancy	Mid-September, to encourage dormancy
Fall feeding	A high-potassium fertilizer in fall may increase winter hardiness once the plant is dormant	—

Step by step

Clean up. Penn State says clear fallen leaves and flowers before winter so fungal spores do not overwinter under the plant, and bin rather than compost diseased material.
Water before the ground freezes. Penn State says water thoroughly late in the season, after the first frost but before the ground freezes, so the rose goes into winter well hydrated. Minnesota says water evenly until the ground freezes.
Prune for safety, not shape. Minnesota says remove dead, diseased, damaged and crossing canes, and cut very tall hybrid teas back to 24–30 inches after hard frosts so wind does not rock the crown loose. Save structural pruning for spring.
Wait for dormancy. Penn State says insulate only after several killing freezes, to keep the rose and the soil around it consistently cold through winter’s warm and cold spells.
Mound the crown. For grafted roses, Penn State says mound well-draining compost, potting mix, clean soil or aged manure so the graft union is covered by about a foot. Minnesota gives 8 to 12 inches of soil or compost for hybrid teas once the ground freezes.

Left, a grafted rose: Penn State says mound well-draining compost, potting mix, clean soil or aged manure so the graft union is covered by about a foot, and University of Minnesota Extension gives 8 to 12 inches over the crown of hybrid teas. Right, a hardy shrub rose, which Minnesota says rarely needs elaborate protection. Heights are drawn roughly to those figures. Drawing: USGrowersGuide, from Penn State Extension and University of Minnesota Extension, as quoted on this page.
Cover the mound. Once it has frozen, Penn State says add a few inches of tree leaves, boughs or ground bark to insulate it and hold it in place.
Mulch the hardy ones. For hardy shrub roses, Minnesota says 2 to 4 inches of mulch after the first hard frost is enough.

By type of rose

Rose	Winter protection
Hardy shrub roses	Water until the ground freezes, prune lightly, mulch 2–4 inches after the first hard frost (Minnesota)
Grafted hybrid teas, floribundas, English roses	Cover the graft union by about a foot (Penn State) or 8–12 inches over the crown (Minnesota)
Own-root roses	The hardier, the less; in colder areas a 12-inch mound over the plant, canes loosely tied first (Penn State)
Climbers	Tie canes securely and mulch the base (Minnesota); in cold or exposed sites, wrap trimmed, tied canes in straw and burlap (Penn State)
Tree roses (standards)	The graft is feet above ground: wrap the cut-back head and fence the stem with leaves or straw, or lay the whole plant down and cover it (Penn State)
Roses in containers	Move into an unheated garage or shed, or insulate the pot, or bury it once the rose is dormant (Penn State)

The Minnesota Tip

For tender roses, University of Minnesota Extension describes laying the plant into a shallow trench after several hard frosts but before the ground freezes, and covering it with soil. That shields the graft union and the canes through the coldest months. It says tender climbers may benefit from it too.

In spring

Penn State says start removing the mound in very early spring, once hard freezes are no longer forecast, and do it in stages, because the lower layers may still be frozen. Don’t prune too early, it says, as late winter dieback can occur; start fertilizing again in April. Minnesota saves structural pruning for late April or early May. For when your last spring freeze usually comes, see the freeze table on the rose zones page or enter your ZIP code below.

Your ZIP code

Your ZIP, your answer

Enter your ZIP code to see your USDA zone, the zone’s first fall freeze and the roses rated hardy there, read from the table on this page, and the freeze dates of the NOAA station nearest you.

This box needs JavaScript to answer on the page. Without it, the button opens the ZIP code zone finder; your zone’s row is in the table on this page.

Your answer appears here.

Full details for any ZIP code: ZIP code zone finder.

Common mistakes

Mounding too early. Penn State says wait for several killing freezes, once the rose is dormant.
Feeding into late summer. Penn State stops in August, Minnesota by August 1 for hybrid teas.
Leaving a potted rose out in the open. Penn State says its roots are above ground and particularly exposed; move it into an unheated garage or shed, or insulate it.
Shaping roses in fall. Minnesota says fall pruning is for safety; shape in spring.
Leaving diseased leaves under the plant. Penn State says clear them and do not compost them.
Pulling the mound off in one go. Penn State says remove it in stages as it thaws.

In the South

We found no Texas or Florida source on winterizing roses, so advice for the South here is limited. Texas A&M AgriLife’s Earth-Kind roses, on the rose zones page, are chosen for performance under Texas heat, drought and variable soils. For winter care in Texas or Florida, ask your county AgriLife or UF/IFAS Extension office.

Questions

When should I winterize roses?: Penn State Extension says clean up and add winter insulation only after several killing freezes, so the rose has gone dormant. University of Minnesota Extension says protect the crown of hybrid tea, floribunda and English roses once the ground freezes.
How high should I mound soil around a rose for winter?: Penn State Extension says mound well-draining compost, potting mix, clean soil or aged manure so the graft union of a grafted rose is covered by about a foot. University of Minnesota Extension gives 8 to 12 inches of soil or compost over the crown of hybrid teas.
When do I stop fertilizing roses before winter?: Penn State Extension says start monthly feeding in April and stop in August, to reduce new growth that may not harden off before winter. University of Minnesota Extension says stop fertilizing hybrid teas by August 1.
Do shrub roses need winter protection?: University of Minnesota Extension says hardy shrub roses such as Canadian Explorer, Parkland, Northern Accents and rugosa roses rarely need elaborate protection: water evenly until the ground freezes and mulch 2 to 4 inches after the first hard frost.
How do I protect a rose in a pot over winter?: Penn State Extension says the easiest option is moving the container into an unheated garage or shed. Otherwise put it in the most sheltered spot outside and insulate the pot and the plant, or bury the pot in the ground once the rose is dormant and before the ground freezes.
When do I take the winter mound off my roses?: Penn State Extension says start in very early spring, once hard freezes are no longer forecast, and remove it gradually, because the lower layers may still be frozen. It warns against pruning too early, since late winter dieback can still happen.

Sources

Dates on this page are NOAA’s 1991–2020 Climate Normals: the first fall freeze at the median station, for every station the ZIP codes in each zone cite. Zones are the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023, and the rose ratings are a judgement, labelled where they appear. Every step is quoted from the extension publications below, each written for its own area.

Penn State Extension, Protecting Your Roses through Pennsylvania Winters , by Susan Marquesen (Updated November 15, 2023). Written for: Pennsylvania (USDA zones 5b–8a).
University of Minnesota Extension, Autumn rose care in Minnesota , by Robin Trott, Douglas County (September 9, 2026). Written for: Minnesota (USDA zones 3a–5a).

Nothing here replaces your own state's cooperative extension service, which knows your county. Where this site's numbers come from.

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