Their sweet fragrance will become the perfume of next year’s hazy golden months, but the secret to next year’s showstopping roses? It actually begins right now in November.
Yes, as the days shorten and temperatures dip, your roses might not look like anything to write home about. However, this is the point in the year when they are (depending on your USDA Plant Hardiness Zone) entering dormancy – aka the crucial rest period that sets the stage for vigorous growth come spring.
Stop thinking of November as a time to rest on your laurels, then, and instead try to see it as the quiet backstage prep for your roses before their big performance in 2026. Because, with just a few smart steps now, you’ll give your roses everything they need to bounce back with strong stems and abundant flowers next year.
1. Mulch, Mulch, Mulch
Mulching sometimes gets written off as optional extra, but if you want beautiful roses next summer, it’s essential. In most regions, early to mid-November is the perfect time to lay down a thick, 2-3 inch layer of organic mulch: something like compost, well-rotted manure, or Amazon's Premium Brown Wood Mulch should work beautifully.
Once it’s in place, your mulch acts as a natural blanket, insulating the soil against temperature swings and preventing frost heave that can expose the roots of your beloved roses. It also helps retain moisture, keeps weeds down, and slowly enriches the soil as it breaks down.
Just take care that, when you spread it, you keep the mulch a few inches away from the base of each rose cane. Piling it right up against the stems can trap moisture and invite that dreaded root rot to play.
2. Plant Bare-Root Roses
If you’ve been dreaming about adding new roses to your garden, November is prime time to do it as it’s when you can plant bare-root roses: the eco-friendly, easy-to-ship option that’s far cheaper than potted plants.
Whether you fancy planting Pamela Anderson’s favorite rose, or prefer something like the romantic Emily Brontë™ Shrub Rose Bred By David Austin, your best bet is to get them in the ground now. After all, bare-root roses establish strong root systems over winter, ready to burst into growth with spring’s first warmth.
Simply soak the roots in water for an hour before planting, then set them in a hole deep enough that the graft union (the swollen bump where the stems meet the roots) sits just below soil level. Backfill, water well, and finish with mulch.
TOP TIP: This is also the best time to transplant established roses if you need to – or, y’know, want to – rearrange your garden. Move them while dormant, dig up as much of the root ball as possible, and replant immediately at the same depth in well-amended soil.
3. Stop Fertilizing ASAP
It’s tempting to give your roses one last boost before winter really sets in, but resist the urge to fertilize them in November. Feeding them now only encourages tender new growth that won’t have time to harden before the first frost arrives.
Instead, stop fertilizing completely by early November and let your roses start winding down so they can shift energy back into the roots, building reserves for the following year. You can still deadhead any straggling blooms or tidy up fallen leaves, but skip the heavy pruning until late winter or early spring, once the worst frosts are over.
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By mulching, planting, and giving your roses a proper winter rest, you’re setting them up for their best season yet. Come early summer, those blooms by which any other name would still smell as sweet (thanks, Shakespeare!) will reward you with healthy foliage, plentiful buds, and fragrant blooms that make every moment of November effort worthwhile.
So pull on your gloves, grab a spade and a bag of mulch, and spend an hour or two tending to your roses this month. You’ll thank yourself – and hopefully us, too – when you’re surrounded by color next June…
