Nostalgic Roses

Seasonal care

The rose year, month by month

Rose care follows the seasons. This calendar shows the usual timing in two kinds of climate so you can see the whole year at once and adjust it to your own garden.

The calendar

The rose year at a glanceNorthern Hemisphere, typical timing. Each ring is one task, read clockwise from January at the top. Shift everything a few weeks to match your own frost dates.
Cold-winter garden: rose care calendar. The table below gives the same months in words.Plant: April to MayPlant: SeptemberMain prune: AprilFeed: May to JulyWater deeply: May to SeptemberDeadhead: June to SeptemberScout for pests: May to SeptemberMulch and protect: MayMulch and protect: November to DecemberJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Cold-winter gardenRoughly USDA zones 4 to 6, where the ground freezes hard

Mild-winter garden: rose care calendar. The table below gives the same months in words.Plant: January to FebruaryPlant: October to NovemberMain prune: January to FebruaryFeed: March to SeptemberWater deeply: April to OctoberDeadhead: April to NovemberScout for pests: March to NovemberMulch and protect: MarchMulch and protect: June to JulyJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Mild-winter gardenRoughly USDA zones 8 to 9, with light or rare frost

  1. PlantRing 1 from the centerBare-root roses while dormant; potted roses any time the ground is workable and the weather is mild.
  2. Main pruneRing 2 from the centerThe hard prune of repeat bloomers, as buds swell and hard frosts end.
  3. FeedRing 3 from the centerLight, regular feeding from new growth until about six to eight weeks before first frost.
  4. Water deeplyRing 4 from the centerLong, deep soaks at the base whenever the top few inches of soil are dry.
  5. DeadheadRing 5 from the centerSnip spent flowers on repeat bloomers. Stop late in the season to let hips form.
  6. Scout for pestsRing 6 from the centerA weekly look under leaves and at new shoots catches problems early.
  7. Mulch and protectRing 7 from the centerFresh mulch in spring, and winter mounding where the ground freezes.
Read the calendar as a table
TaskCold-winter gardenMild-winter garden
PlantApril to May, SeptemberJanuary to February, October to November
Main pruneAprilJanuary to February
FeedMay to JulyMarch to September
Water deeplyMay to SeptemberApril to October
DeadheadJune to SeptemberApril to November
Scout for pestsMay to SeptemberMarch to November
Mulch and protectMay, November to DecemberMarch, June to July

The wheels are a guide to the order and rough timing of jobs. Treat every date as approximate. Two gardens in the same zone can differ by weeks because of elevation, slope, wind and nearby water.

Adjusting it to your garden

  • Find your frost dates. Your average last spring frost and first fall frost matter more than the calendar month. Extension services publish these for local areas.
  • Watch the plants. Swelling buds on your roses, and forsythia flowering nearby, are reliable signs that the main prune can begin.
  • Count back from first frost. Stop feeding and deadheading about six to eight weeks before your average first fall frost.
  • Southern Hemisphere. Shift every task by about six months.

Spring

Spring is the busiest season. In cold regions it starts with removing winter mounds, then the main prune as buds swell. Plant bare-root roses as soon as the soil can be worked. Clear old leaves, lay fresh mulch and give a first feed once new leaves open, if your soil needs it. Start weekly checks for aphids, which arrive with the new shoots.

Summer

Summer is about water and flowers. Water deeply in dry spells, deadhead repeat bloomers, and keep a close eye on black spot and mildew in humid weather. Prune once-flowering roses and ramblers just after they finish. In hot regions, roses may slow down in midsummer heat and flower again as it cools.

Fall

Stop feeding, then stop deadheading, to let the plant harden off and form hips. Fall is a good time to plant potted roses in mild regions while the soil is still warm. Clean up fallen leaves, especially from diseased plants. In cold regions, wait until the ground starts to freeze before mounding soil or compost over the base of grafted roses.

Winter

In cold regions, roses rest under their protection and you rest too. Check after storms that canes are still tied in. In mild regions, winter is the time for the main prune, for planting bare-root roses, and for a careful clean-up of old leaves before spring growth begins.

Planting is covered in the planting guide, pruning and winter protection in the pruning guide, water and fertilizer in the watering and feeding guide and problems in the pests and diseases guide.