Hey, everybody, it is deadhead time at the Rose Corral. No, I am not talking about a gathering of slow-thinking people. Nor am I talking about followers of a famous rock group, or about delivery trucks that travel without any cargo. I am talking roses—specifically, roses that are getting tired and trying to go to seed.
By December most of our rose bushes are fading. They are producing fewer blossoms and dropping yellow, brown or black leaves. It is time to clean up the garden as we close it down for the winter.
As brief as winter may be in Napa Valley, we still need to prune back the roses. For most of the year, we are merely deadheading, which means removing the spent blossoms to keep the bushes flowering. But now we need to prune the canes and stems much harder to prepare them for winter.
Napa Valley is in USDA Hardiness Zones 9a and 9b. That means we seldom have hard freezes. That is nice for us, but our rose bushes think they should keep on blooming. Although they can do that and look pretty good if we leave them alone, the bushes will not store enough energy in their roots for spring growth.
By pruning the bushes back to two to three feet, we can encourage the behavior we want. Pruning allows the bush to store energy in its roots rather than spending it on new blooms.
Even gardeners don't always fully appreciate that all living things go through a life cycle. If roses aren't deadheaded, the spent blossoms grow seed pods known as rose hips (photo 1). If the hips are pollinated and drop to the ground, they can potentially produce a copy of the parent bush, a process that happens in the wild. Photo 2 shows two swollen hips split open, revealing seeds. Alternatively, the seeds might get eaten by birds before they have a chance to drop and sprout.
In controlled environments like our Napa Valley gardens (I use the term “controlled” loosely), we generally like to keep rose blooms on the bush. To keep the blooms coming, we deliberately stop the life cycle by removing the tired blooms—deadheading—before the seed pod develops. We use small hand shears to do the job.
In cold parts of the country, rose bushes go dormant in winter. But given our mild winters, we need to help matters along. The Master Gardeners who manage the rose garden in Napa's Fuller Park follow an aggressive pruning protocol in January, reducing bushes by as much as two-thirds. For most of the bushes, that means a final pruned height of two to three feet.
In essence, we are forcing winter dormancy with this hard pruning. The good news is that our tough approach leads to plentiful blooms by May.
For winter pruning you need either a hand saw or sharp loppers that can cut cleanly through canes that may be an inch or more in diameter (photo 3). The pruning process also involves removing any remaining leaves on the canes and stems by hand.
If you would like more guidance on winter rose care, plan now to attend the online course offered by Napa County Master Gardeners on January 11. The online course will be followed by a hands-on class at Fuller Park the following week. See registration details below.
Remember to toss rose leaves and pruning debris into your city compost bin and not your own compost pile. The municipal compost reaches temperatures high enough to destroy any bacteria or fungal spores; a backyard pile typically won't get that hot.
Napa County Master Gardeners are usually working in the Fuller Park rose garden on the first Sunday and third Thursday of each month between 10:00 a.m. and noon, weather permitting, February through November. We hope to see you there.
Library Talk: Join UC Master Gardeners of Napa County for a Napa Library talk on “Growing Peppers” on Thursday, January 2, from 7 pm to 8 pm via Zoom. Let's parlez peppers—hot, sweet and mild. Learn the basics of starting peppers from seed, plus growing tips and usage ideas for your eventual harvest. Click here to register!
Rose Pruning Workshop: Join UC Master Gardeners of Napa County for a workshop on “Winter Rose Care” on Saturday, January 11, from 10 a.m. to noon, via Zoom. Learn pruning techniques for all types of roses along with everything you need to know to make your roses a success in 2025. Attendees will be invited to a hands-on pruning workshop at Fuller Park Rose Garden on January 18 to practice what they learned. Register here.
Help Desk: The Master Gardener Help Desk is available to answer your garden questions on Mondays and Fridays from 10 am until 1 pm at the University of California Cooperative Extension Office, 1710 Soscol Avenue, Suite 4, Napa. Or send your questions to mastergardeners@countyofnapa.org. Include your name, address, phone number and a brief description
By Iris Craig, U. C. Master Gardener of Napa County
The rose bushes in Napa Valley are now full of leaves and tiny buds, preparing to bloom. By May, garden roses will be in full flower. My rose-care season began in January with heavy pruning on a dry day, followed by the purchase of two bare-root roses (‘Marilyn Monroe' and ‘Julia Child') to replace a pair that died from old age and drought. Although those two bushes didn't make it, roses are generally very hardy.
Rose fossils have been found in 35-million-year-old rocks. Rose wreaths have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs. Evidence suggests that the Chinese have cultivated roses for five thousand years. During the Roman Empire, people used crushed roses for perfume, rose hips for medicine and petals for confetti.
In the 14th century the Houses of Lancaster (red rose) and York (white rose) used roses as symbols in their struggle for control of England during the War of the Roses. In the war's aftermath, the symbol of the House of Tudor became a red rose embedded with a white rose. Such a flower does not exist but symbolized the joining of the Houses of Lancaster and York.
Prized by royalty, roses and rose water were used as legal tender in the 17th century. Empress Josephine gathered a large collection of roses in her garden at Château de Malmaison. Pierre-Joseph Redouté's famed botanical drawings were done in her garden.
China introduced roses to Europe, and Europeans quickly learned to cross cultivated varieties with native roses to produce longer-blooming and hardier types. Many of the roses we grow today can be traced to this period.
North America has 35 to 50 native rose species. Early settlers may have brought cuttings from England but there were wild roses here to meet them. Wild roses continue to dot our hillsides, scenting the air and providing food for wildlife.
In the 1830s Native Americans were forced to walk thousands of miles from their homes to Indian Territory across the Mississippi River. Legend has it that a white rose sprang up along this trail wherever a Cherokee mother's tears fell. The wild Cherokee Rose (Rosa laevigata) can still be found along the Trail of Tears. It is the state flower of Georgia.
Rose rustling has become something of a hobby among some rose lovers in the U.S. Rustlers hunt in isolated places, such as cemeteries, for old rose varieties that are no longer available commercially. (That said, specialty nurseries do carry many old varieties that you can order.) If you want to try rustling, be sure to abide by these rules: Always ask the property owner's permission, and take only cuttings, never the entire plant.
Late April and early May are good times to visit the rose garden in Napa's Fuller Park. The garden was developed by Napa Parks and Recreation in collaboration with Napa County Master Gardeners. The garden is at the back of the park (on Jefferson Street between Oak and Laurel Streets) close to Seminary Street. Master Gardeners worked with the City of Napa to choose rose varieties that do well in our climate. City workers planted, irrigated and now maintain the garden. Master Gardeners continue to provide advice and training.
In designing your own rose garden, choose an area that receives at least six hours of sun each day. Decide on your vision for your garden. Do you want ground-hugging carpet roses, rose bushes or tree-like rose standards?
Plant roses at least four feet apart to ensure good air circulation. Roses also require good drainage, fertile soil and a source of water. Roses need less water than many plants; however, they do need summer irrigation.
Napa County Master Gardeners have devised a Rose Cycle, a calendar of monthly tasks that will help you keep your roses healthy. In April, watch for pests such as aphids. Remove them and finger-prune your roses. In May, dead-head (remove spent flowers) and fertilize. Stay on top of each month's small tasks and you will have healthy, beautiful roses.
Find the Rose Cycle calendar link here:
http://napamg.ucanr.edu/files/254549.pdf
The UC Master Gardeners are volunteers who provide UC research-based information on home gardening. To find out more about upcoming programs or to ask a garden question, visit the Master Gardener website (http://napamg.ucanr.edu) or call (707) 253-4221 between 9 a.m. and noon on Mondays, Wednesdays or Fridays.
