Gardening Tips: Caring for Roses in the Midwest

Several years ago, we purchased our modest three bedroom home in a small suburb located about a half an hour from downtown Chicago. Ironically, we obtained our home from a woman named Rose, whose pride and joy were her lovely rosebushes. The scarlet colored blooms quickly became one of my favorite homespun touches as well. My only challenge: keeping them alive and allowing Rose's blossoming legacy to live on under my care. With a little research and a lot of hands on experience, I soon became an expert at cultivating Rose's rosebushes.

I'll start at the end by describing the process in which we prepare and protect our roses from the harsh Chicago winters. First of all, in mid to late October, I cut the bushes down to about a foot in height. I prune live stems at a 45 degree angle and then I trim away any dead canes. I also snip and remove any stems that appear to be overlapping one another to increase air circulation, especially towards the center of the plants where they have a tendency to cluster. I cover each bush with a Styrofoam container and leave them be for the winter months.

In early spring, usually at the beginning of April, I remove my protective coverings to reveal my plants. Then, I just basically leave the bushes alone and let Mother Nature take over the process. In Chicago, weather conditions can be rough and unpredictable. One day it can be cold and rainy while the next day it may be hot and humid. Apparently, roses don't mind this shift in climate since they begin to blossom like clockwork right around Memorial Day every single year.

Throughout the summer months, I cut away any dead stems and fading blooms to promote new growth. I snip dead blossoms once again at a 45 degree angle away from any new buds. Contrary to much of what I have read about caring for roses, ours only get partial sun and we water them as infrequently as three times a week, yet they beautifully thrive and flourish well into October. I also have never, ever used plant food or fertilizer on my rosebushes; still they continue to produce gorgeous blooms for four to five months out of the year.