There are several things you can do to make sure your roses survive our Nebraska winters long before the cold winds blow. First, choose the most winter hardy roses available to plant in your rose bed. Next, make sure your roses are healthy and not under stress as they go into winter.
Strong plants have a better chance of surviving the winter than weak plants.
The most important thing you can do to reduce stress on your roses is to irrigate them adequately in late autumn. The last fertilization of roses should have been done in early August and no further applications should be made at this time of year. Hilling or mounding soil around the base of the plant protects bush-type roses, like hybrid teas, floribundas, and grandifloras but should not be done until after the first hard freeze has caused all the roses leaves to fall. Begin by removing fallen leaves and other debris from around each plant. Removing all of the old leaves is very important, especially after the disease problems many people experienced this summer.