By REBECCA NORTON RYAN

In the next few weeks we will put our roses to bed for the winter season. I try to have roses winter ready by Nov. 1. I am definitely a fair weather gardener.

Roses start to go dormant after the first hard frost. All subsequent frosts will also tell your roses that the growing season is finished.

Do not fertilize. You do not want the roses to be growing hard as the first frosts hit. The cold weather season is the time of rest for roses and all other perennials. Do not fertilize.

Stop dead heading or removing old blooms. This will send the message to the rose to put their energy into their winter reserve.

Prune your roses to half their height. Be sure to remove any branches that cross and will cause a wound. This will also keep the canes from being broken by heavy winter snows or whipping winter winds.

Mound compost around the rose to protect it from cold weather. This is one time you can put the mulch write up around the stem of the rose.

I read something new that I had not heard before. After saying no fertilizer it was recommended adding two to three tablespoons of Super Phosphate which will keep the roots strong and help the rose survive. I have never added this to my roses but I am going to give it a try with a couple of bushes.

We love our roses and all our plants. We want them to rest through the cold season and emerge in spring healthy and ready for summer.

Rebecca Norton Ryan is a member of Warren Garden Club and Penn State Extension Master Gardener.