Preparing the garden for winter can be overwhelming, but when it comes to roses it is often the easiest tasks that make the biggest difference to their health at this time of year. Roses can be very vulnerable in late autumn as the wet weather makes it more likely for fungal spores to grow in gardens which can cause diseases like black spot to thrive.
Black spot will first appear as big and dark splotches on rose leaves but can quickly take over the plant to greatly weaken it, making the plant less likely to survive over winter. It is important for gardeners to be checking their roses regularly for signs of black spot but the experts at Peter Beales Roses have said preventing disease is easy if you give the plant a quick clean-up. They said: “Whilst it is too early to start pruning your other roses, you can tidy them up by removing any fallen leaves from the ground and cut off any diseased leaves so they don’t contaminate the soil.”
It might seem simple, but picking up fallen leaves and other foliage around roses is one of the best way to stop disease spreading around your garden in November.
Fungal spores are more likely to spread through moisture, and when leaves are piled up together it can create a damp environment, which is the perfect chance for spores to multiply.
Once it begins to rain the contaminated water can splash onto roses to infect them, and if they become diseased, the plant is unlikely to have the strength to fight off the damage during the winter.
Taking just a few minutes to tidy around roses will improve air circulation so the soil can dry out after it has rained to help keep the plant healthy and disease-free throughout the colder season.
How tidy up roses in November to prepare them for winter
All you need to do is rake up any leaves, petals or decaying foliage on the ground around roses; make sure to put the waste in a bin rather than compost as the plant matter can contain fungal spores.
It can also help to pull up any weeds around the base of rose plant as this will also reduce moisture build up.
If roses have any dead stems overcrowding the plant then you can lightly trim them, but do not do any heavy pruning now as it is too early and could damage the plant.
Rose hips can look beautiful at this time of year and are fine to leave on the plant, but if they look like they are softening and decaying then it can help to remove them before they fall onto the ground.
Clearing up should take less than 10 minutes, but if you do it at least once a week before winter begins then roses should stay strong and come back even healthier next year.
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