Now that the days are getting shorter and the nights have that familiar "nip" to them, it's time to prepare your roses for the long winter nap to come. Here are the necessary steps to tuck them in for the winter:

1. Continue watering
   You will be watering less than you were in the summertime, but continue giving them sufficient water to keep them healthy before the onslaught of winter.
   
2. Discontinue feeding
   Fertilizer is no longer necessary or desirable. You don't want to encourage any soft, tender growth.
   
3. Continue treating for insects and diseases
   Treat only if you notice any damage.
   
4. Clean the area around the plants
   Pick up and dispose of any fallen leaves or old flowers. Healthy leaves can be used in the compost pile, but do not use those that are damaged by insects or disease.
   
5. Do not prune
   While you may continue cutting flowers to bring in the house, do not cut the plants back severely at this time of year. Newly cut branches will not be able to scab over before winter comes and will lose moisture and die. Wait until spring to do any major pruning.
   
6. Leave the rose hips
   These are the bright red fruits that form where the flower used to be. They provide some vibrant color for the fall garden and are also the plant's cue to begin winding down for the winter.
   
7. Spray your plants with an anti-desiccant
   Anti-dessicants help protect them from drying out in the cold winter winds.
   
8. Protect less hardy varieties
   Construct a 12" mound of soil or mulch around the plant to give them added protection from the cold. You can add an extra layer of protection by using a Styrofoam rose cone.
   

Come spring, your roses should wake up from their winter dormancy happy, healthy and ready to go!

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Should I use bone meal or bulb food when I plant my bulbs?

Answer:
We recommend bone meal at the time of planting, then applying a balanced bulb food once the foliage appears above the soil line in late winter/early spring.

There are a couple of reasons for this. Nitrogen can burn the actual bulb, which only needs the phosphorus and potash from bone meal in order to stimulate rooting. But once the bulb is sending out a stem, it needs nitrogen to become strong so it won't bend over from the weight of the flowers that it sets. This is especially important for bulbs with large heavy flowers, such as tulips, ranunculus, and hyacinth.

It's also important to dig the holes or trenches a little deeper than the bulb needs to be, applying some bone meal below the bulb, then a little more soil so the bulb doesn't sit directly on the food but has access to the food as it sends out roots (got to give those roots some incentive to stretch).

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