Answer #1 ·
Gardenality.com's Answer · I'm in Zone 8a so Zone 7b shouldn't be too different? In these zones, fall is the time to begin preparing roses for winter. To allow roses to go dormant for winter, I would suggest a last fertilization sometime in September, when roses begin to put out some new growth from the cooler weather. In October, you can cut back on watering a little to encourage roses to stop flowering and slow their growth. This way, an early severe cold blast won;t harm new tender growth. You also want to allow the final blooms to stay on the stems and develop rose hips to signal to the plant that it's time to go dormant.
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