What do I do with a rose bush over the winter if it’s too late to plant?

Question

Dear friends gave me a container rose bush about 1month ago but it is now Aug 17 and I have not yet planted it. It is a good size and rather hardy looking, and has produced about 7 robust blooms now finished. But it is getting a little big for the container. Our first frost will quite likely occur in a few weeks. Should I risk planting? I don’t want to lose this lovely plant as it is special to me. Or is there a way to nurture and maintain it indoors for the winter? I live in northern Manitoba. Thank you.

Answer 1

I would recommend placing it in the garage or a cool basement once things get cold enough for it to go dormant. Keep an eye on the soils moisture during the winter. If there is much light where you place it, it may not go dormant but just limit its growth. Come Spring I would plant it outside as early in the spring as possible. If it is still growing you will want to be sure and wait until the temps even out and danger of frost is past. Plant it so that the union is a good two to three inches below the surrounding grade line. Mound the soils up onto the canes in a cone shape 6 to 8 inches high, then once the weather warms up better you can remove the soils mounding. Prune it down a bit to help stimulate growth then too but it may be growing okay anyway. It will just help improve its vigor if you do a fairly heavy pruning at this point.