December Rose Care Guide

Winter Maintenance Tips for Southern, Middle, and Northern Zones

Written by Paul Zimmerman, Paul Zimmerman Roses Consulting and Desing

Winter's here, and December calls for a bit of TLC for your roses. The good news? Rose care in December is light, but these small tasks go a long way in keeping your rose plants healthy and ready for the colder months. Depending on your zone, here's a step-by-step guide to help you give your roses the attention they need this month.

Southern Zones (Zone 8 and Higher)

In Southern zones, roses don’t experience full dormancy, so December is a time for light maintenance to keep plants looking tidy and healthy.

• Light Deadheading: Continue light deadheading to remove any remaining faded blooms. This helps roses conserve energy and keeps your garden looking fresh.
• Clear Out Dead Wood and Weak Growth: Inspect each plant and remove dead wood or weak, spindly canes. This light pruning reduces disease risks and improves airflow, keeping your roses healthy through the cooler months.

Middle Zones (Zones 6 and 7)

In middle zones, roses are mostly in a rest period, though you may still see some leaves. Here, December is more about helping them settle in for winter.

• Stop Deadheading: Let those blooms stay put. With the colder weather, it's time for roses to shut down, and leaving the hips on signals the plant to go dormant.
• Remove Dead Wood and Weak Growth: Check for any dead wood or frail branches and prune them out. This cleanup reduces disease risks and ensures the plant will be in great shape for spring, without encouraging new growth. Avoid heavy pruning to prevent triggering any new growth that could be damaged by cold.

Northern Zones (Zone 5 and Lower)

In Northern zones, December typically means full dormancy for roses, so December's task list is short and sweet.

• Skip Deadheading: Let the rose hips stay on—they add winter beauty to your garden and can even be a food source for birds.
• Tidy Dead Wood and Weak Growth: Do a light inspection and cut away any dead wood or weak branches. This simple step lowers the risk of disease over winter and makes spring cleanup easier when your roses start waking up.

December rose care is light but valuable for maintaining plant health through winter. Whether you're tidying blooms in Southern zones or ensuring disease-free dormancy in the North, these simple tasks keep your roses looking neat and ready for the colder months. With a little December attention, your roses will be well-prepared to thrive come spring.

It's always a good time to dream about your spring garden and the new roses you'll plant. At Jackson & Perkins, we've updated our assortment and restocked roses so shop the website and reserve your favorites now. We'll ship them to you in spring at the right time for planting in your zone.

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