## Autumn Rose Care: Protect Blooms with Simple Steps
As temperatures drop, rose gardeners must shift focus from summer blooms to winter protection. Neglecting autumn rose care can leave plants vulnerable to frost damage, impacting next year’s flowering. A simple, readily available household item – coffee grounds – can play a key role in strengthening roses for the colder months.
Proper autumn preparation is crucial for ensuring healthy, vibrant roses next spring. Avoiding nitrogen-rich fertilizers in favor of potassium-rich options strengthens frost hardiness.Protecting the root neck with earth or compost, and carefully wrapping the crown of grafted roses, are essential steps for surviving the winter.To fertilize effectively, switch to autumn fertilizers rich in potassium. This late-summer boost fortifies roses against frost and increases winter resistance. Avoid nitrogen-containing fertilizers, which encourage new growth susceptible to cold damage.
Protecting roses from frost reliably involves piling earth or compost around the base. Cover the sensitive root neck with a mixture of topsoil and compost, paying particular attention to grafted roses, as their graft points are especially vulnerable.
For standard roses, more extensive protection is needed. The entire crown should be carefully wrapped with jute fabric or fleece to shield the graft point and ensure vigorous spring growth.
gardeners should also be mindful of non-hardy plants that require bringing indoors before the first frost. (JR)
