Wintering Potted Roses - In or Out?

These four roses are around three and a half years old. They were grown from cuttings taken from a 1st wedding anniversary plant before we moved house and left the original behind. It surprised us that all the cuttings took so well, but as yet, we haven't worked out where to plant them.

While they were smaller, we brought them indoors, to the cool back corridor over the Winter and put them back out in the Spring. They are currently in pots of around 3 litres, sitting on corrugated metal and bubblewrap, to insulate them from the cold paving. They are against an East South East facing wall, so get sun from around lunchtime to evening.

Will they be okay left outside over the Winter, or should they be brought indoors again until we work out where to plant them?



To make sure we kept the anniversary rose going, we even took a cutting from the cuttings, which also took, but that one has already found a home at the front of the woodland. The others may also end up around the wood, but as we are still working on that area, didn't want to commit to planting them yet.

 

Those pots look very small so the roots will likely freeze if left out over winter. You could pot them on into bigger pots as the roots still grow a bit over winter and they'll then have a better start next spring and then keep them in a frost free but not heated place eg against a south facing wall, sheltered from cold easterlies, on a windowsill in the garage or a carport or unheated greenhouse. You can also wrap the pots in bubble wrap to give extra frost protection - just the pots, not the plants as they need ventilation.

 

Think I'll just bring them in to the back door corridor. Easiest solution and then look for a location for them in the Spring.

 

The Rose nursery near me leave all their potted roses outside all winter , the pots may freeze but I think roses are pretty much totally hardy, even the roots and would only suffer if the pots were frozen solid for weeks, think 1963.

 

Fine for mature roses but I would protect cuttings, even a year or two old.

 

Roses are very hardy but those pots look very small. Peter Beales Classic Roses, not far from me in Norfolk, leave their roses out in pots in winter but their pots look bigger. I would wrap fleece (better than bubble wrap, lets them breathe) around them, but I would probably plant them in bigger pots first. Then put them in a sheltered position. Roses don't really like being indoors. I would also prune them down to about a foot so their canes don't wave about and loosen them. That should encourage more growth from the bottom next year.

 

The pots are around 8 to 9 inches diameter. They only moved up to these pots in the middle of this year and weren't root-bound in the previous pots. I've brought them indoors now. The corridor is unheated, so it gets cold in there, but never below freezing. It's been their cold weather home since the winter of 2021/22 and they've done okay.

 

They will be fine in the corridor. If they are shrub roses then they need pruning to help them produce new branches and fill out.

 

You say they have done OK, but personally I would have thought they would be a fair bit bigger by now.
Is that two or three growing seasons.

The trouble with indoors is the light levels are usually poor regarding plants.

 

They started off as a twig in the middle of 2021 and have been cut back twice. I think they are doing okay considering how they started and the weather. Don't forget it's cold up North! They only spent the winter months indoors.

 

Roses, as mentioned, are hardy. If you have cut them back twice since 2021, they ought to be rooted well enough to cope with being outside by now.
If you are concerned that the winter weather may affect them whilst still in their pots, ensure the pots are well fleeced/protected and then hopefully by Spring, you will have sorted out the ideal spot to plant them in the ground.

 

You may find this pruning guide helpful @ArmyAirForce. Step 4 can be ignored.

 

I would leave them outside but plunge the pots into the ground to give the roots a bit of protection. If you have veg beds that are empty for the winter, that might be a good place.

 

Gabriel Oak still in bloom 27 th November never in bloom at this time here in Scotland .