How to Care for Roses in Winter in Southern California

Written by David S.

In Southern California, caring for roses in winter means pruning in late winter (January to February), cleaning up old leaves and debris to prevent disease, holding off on fertilizer, watering only when winter rain falls short, and mulching the soil (but never over the crown). Because our winters are mild, roses here only sleep lightly rather than going fully dormant, so they do not need the heavy mounding and wrapping that cold-climate roses require.

Winter task	When and how
Prune	Late winter (January to February), before new growth begins
Clean up	Strip old leaves and clear debris to remove overwintering disease and pests
Fertilize	Stop before dormancy; resume when new growth begins in late winter
Water	Reduced; about an inch a week, watering during dry spells
Mulch	2 to 4 inches for moisture and weeds; do not cover the crown

How Do You Care for Roses in Winter?

Start by understanding what winter does to a rose here. In our mild part of the state it does not get cold enough to trigger true dormancy, so a rose will only sleep lightly during a Southern California winter rather than shutting down completely.^[1] That is why winter care here is about pruning, cleanup, and a few watering and feeding adjustments, not the freeze protection cold-climate gardeners rely on. From late fall onward, you can even nudge your roses toward rest by leaving the spent flowers to form hips instead of deadheading, since the ripening hips send the plant a signal to slow down.^[1]

Prune Roses in Late Winter

Winter is the season for the big, structural prune. In California the main pruning is done in January or February, before new growth begins in March.^[2] UC Master Gardeners schedule it the same way, calling January the month to buy, plant, and prune roses and February the time to finish pruning.^[3] As a rule, prune in winter before the buds swell.^[4]

When you prune, remove dead, diseased, and damaged wood along with any canes that cross through the center or rub on each other, and take out weak, twiggy canes thinner than a pencil. The goal is an open-centered plant that lets in air and light, which also helps reduce disease.^[2] A common UC guideline for hybrid teas is to leave three, five, or seven strong canes with three to five buds each, pruning to an outward-facing bud; other rose types vary, so adjust to your plant.^[3] The finished height is your choice.^[2] A sharp, clean pair of pruners makes the job easier; see our fall and winter pruning tool guide.

Clean Up to Prevent Disease

Pruning and cleanup go hand in hand. When you prune, strip the remaining old leaves off the plant and clear all the fallen leaves, clippings, and spent flowers from the ground around each rose.^[3] That debris is where last year’s fungus and insect problems overwinter, so removing it is one of the most important winter jobs.^[2] UC puts it plainly: sanitation such as picking up fallen leaves and winter prunings helps reduce disease severity and insect populations in spring.^[4] This dormant-season cleanup, paired with pruning out any diseased wood, is the core of managing overwintering rose diseases like black spot, rust, powdery mildew, and botrytis.^[5]

Watering and Fertilizing Roses in Winter

Roses still need water in winter, just less of it. A rose needs roughly an inch of water a week (about five to seven gallons), and winter rain often supplies that, so you water less than in summer but keep watering through any dry spells when the rain does not do the job.^[1]

Fertilizer, on the other hand, should stop. You want the plant to rest, not push tender new stems in the cool season, so you should already have stopped feeding your roses going into winter.^[1] Hold off through the resting period and resume feeding when new growth begins in late winter, around the time you prune.^[3] For a refresher on what to use once growth restarts, see our guide to fertilizing roses and shrubs.

Should You Mulch Roses for Winter?

Yes, but for the soil, not for freeze protection. A 2-to-4-inch layer of organic mulch such as wood chips conserves soil moisture, keeps the soil cool, and suppresses weeds.^[4] The one rule to remember is not to pile mulch up over the crown or bud union of the plant.^[2]

This is where Southern California differs from colder regions. In cold-winter climates, gardeners mound 10 to 12 inches of soil or mulch over the crown specifically to protect grafted roses from freeze-and-thaw damage, and only after hard frosts set in.^[6] Our ground does not freeze, so that mounding is unnecessary here. In our climate, mulch simply stays a modest soil-level layer, and your roses skip the wrapping and covering entirely. For more cool-season color while your roses rest, see our picks for a Southern California winter garden.

Caring for roses, or thinking about adding a few? Visit any Green Thumb Nursery location through the winter season and our team can help with pruning questions, mulch and soil, and choosing new roses to plant while they are dormant, as covered in our guide to planting dormant and bare-root roses.

Winter Rose Care FAQ

How do you care for roses in winter?

Prune in late winter, strip off old leaves and clear debris to prevent disease, stop fertilizing until growth resumes, water about an inch a week when rain is short, and keep a thin mulch layer. In mild Southern California, skip the cold-climate mounding and wrapping.^[2]

When should you prune roses in Southern California?

In winter, during January or February, before new growth begins in March. That dormant window is the time for the main structural prune.^[2]

Should you mulch roses for winter?

Yes, with a 2-to-4-inch layer to hold soil moisture and suppress weeds, but do not cover the crown. The deep mounding over the crown you may read about is a cold-climate freeze-protection step that is not needed in Southern California.^[2]

How often should you water roses in winter?

Less than in summer. Roses need about an inch of water a week, and winter rain usually covers much of that, so water only during dry spells when the rain falls short.^[1]

Do roses go dormant in winter?

In Southern California they only go semi-dormant, or sleep lightly, because our winters are not cold enough to trigger full dormancy. See our guide to dormant and bare-root roses for more.^[1]

Sources

• [1] UC Master Gardeners of Alameda County, Putting Your Roses to Bed for the Winter: ucanr.edu
• [2] UC Master Gardeners of Monterey Bay, Basics of Rose Care: ucanr.edu
• [3] UC Master Gardeners of San Luis Obispo County, Rose Care Calendar: ucanr.edu
• [4] UC Statewide IPM Program, Roses: Cultural Practices and Weed Control: ipm.ucanr.edu
• [5] UC Statewide IPM Program, Dormant or Delayed-Dormant Season Controls: ipm.ucanr.edu
• [6] University of New Hampshire Extension, Winter Protection of Roses: extension.unh.edu

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