Garden Writer Hybrid teas, grandiflora and most English and floribunda roses need winter protection.
Yellow roses are especially tender.
It's not too late, but definitely time to get busy. Detroiter Ann Gualdoni, a lifetime consulting rosarian for the American Rose Society, says her first step is to remove and discard all leaves from the ground around the plants and any leaves remaining on the roses that show black spot. Next, she brings in soil from another part of the garden and mounds it over the rose crowns so it is at least 6-8 inches deep. If rose cones are being used, trim the tallest rose canes as needed to fit inside. But Gualdoni doesn't cut back her roses at all this time of year.