The bottom line answer to your question is "yes" roses like snow. The more complex answer is what they like it for, and it depends on what you're looking for. My most pressing winter issue in zone 5 is cane survival and snow is an absolute Godsend to help protect the canes. Below the snow it's always 32 degrees, however cold the air temperatures get, so it protects those canes from the bitterly cold weather below zero F that we've had pretty consistently since early January. It doesn't really matter for hardiness sake if the snow falls naturally or is mounded on them as far as I know. It's the presence of the snow that protects. Even ice can be OK if it doesn't break off the canes, since below the ice is also 32 degrees.

The other issue that can come up with snow is cane breaking, though I don't find that this is much of an issue for me. If the snow falls uniformly on the garden bed, however heavy and wet the snow, it tends to fall around the base of the rose first and then support the rest of the canes as it builds up. If you're mounding snow onto the rose, or blowing it from a snow blower, just notice that the snow starts at the base and collects gradually higher rather than aiming for the top branches of the canes. The only risk is that those canes break off if they're top heavy with snow, but I find that only happens if there are still a lot of leaves on the rose, or there's something like a snow plow putting masses of snow onto the roses at an odd angle and all at once.

For me, those canes are totally lost if there is no snow cover, so dead or broken isn't a very tough decision. My view of snow is "bring it on" and keep it on until spring is really here. it sounds like your snow removal strategies work fine for your roses and you're giving them that added measure of winter protection. By far, the areas of zone 5 that have better winter survival for roses are those with consistent snow cover and areas like mine that can get all the snow melting before the bitter cold hits (like it did in late January) get much poorer hardiness for the roses.

I'd celebrate the snow and not worry too much about how you're handling it. If there are 6" of wet heavy snow on the driveway, there are also 6" of wet heavy snow at the base of the roses and that's more than enough surviving cane to have a great head start into spring. The rest of the cane and snow cover is entirely optional if it lasts the winter or not. Letting it melt naturally is great for the rose to come out of dormancy on its own timing with the weather.

Cynthia

Cynthia -

Let me share my experience in similar winter protection of Hydranga's.

This year was really mild. I overwintered my Hydrangea shrubs . Some got leaves, some got mulch. The ones that got mulch got alot of it..I was thinking we were in the clear and because it's been so mild and rainy, when I removed the mulch just this week, some of the younger new stems were MUSH due to I suspect the too wet mulch for far too long.

Everyone seems to say snow is a insulator. I get that it protects it from wind driven dryness. Last year, I did a test of one on a 6' High x WIDE Hydrangea shrub. I first made sure I had adequate snow on the bottom to hold the 6' high canes vertical. Whenever we had snow, I directed the snowblower to the this big Established Hydrangea. It was one big mound and then some....When the spring melted it eventually, again, I felt like it was just way too much moisture. I lose the usual % of canes just due to the direction/weight of snow, but I felt like all the leaf buds I know that were present on the exterior, due to the *snow mound* that encase them, the moisture got to them and got all soggy.

I burlap some things, but I don't burlap them all just because I find it hideous. Sure, burlap select pieces is okay in my eyes.

Ha, are you sure I won't regret over=wintering rose canes and they won't be Sad and Soggy

Presume the roses will be winter mulched a few inches on top regardless ever winter season

Everything above that point will be Sad, Soggy and Dead after the first bout of 40's and raining.

But Cynthia also said as her last remark

" Letting it melt naturally is great for the rose to come out of dormancy on its own timing with the weather"

which conflicts with the experiences I've noted above with my other woody shrubs, albit just the smaller younger canes

Old time farmers called snow the poor man's fertilizer. Apparently it contains good things for the soil. Farmers around here are happy when we get a good, heavy snow cover.

Off topic or on, but I was planning to go heavy on the mulch on the new bare roots when I plant them. Suggestion was it prevents the cane from drying out as the roots get established. --again, referencing my discovery of mush canes, when I removed the mulched hydrangas- . The younger stems were mush as I removed the mulch just a week ago

I dunno if as it falls, it picks up and the soil gets FREE nitrogen ? Emerging spring bulbs seem to perk up a good inch more right after a snowfall. Some I've observed higher than where we were at.

All my plants love snow as it provides nitrogen.

I think if your winters are mild, snow or rain are good for hydration but you won't need to winter protect with mounded up wet material which could rot your plants. Here, heavy snow has broken canes. I don't need it to winter protect from cold here. In Alaska and Minnesota, OTOH, I loved having snow insulation on my roses because of the cold.

Re: Wounded up WET material. Granted Spring has rain and longer sun warmer days. I was planning to mulch up to the top of the canes until May. Alot of sites suggested this to prevent the canes from drying out as they establshed roots. Yay or Nay ?

I do Burlap wrap some shrubs I just can't lose to snow shear. I have some boxwoods that grow a whopping 1-2" inches PER year. Those I actually make a wood *roof* for them. These are my babies.

After having such a MILD winter with the rain keeping the winter leaves/mulch waaay to wet, I am definitely rethinking how I winter protect next year. I think the winter we had may be the new norm ?

For comparison, the same hydrangeas I overwintered with the same mulch in qty the former year, all the canes fared out fine. Even some some baby leaf terminals developed when I removed it. This winter was just too dang warm and wet

a1an I think you’re misinterpreting that advice.

It sounds like the mulch+snow combo will definitely rot the tender canes, BUT it saves the roots and the lower canes.

I don’t have enough experience to know, but I think that’s the short of it.

I piled mulch and leaves around my roses for winter once, and lost a lot of canes because spring arrived with more rain than normal. I had the soggy mess a1an describes. The best way to insure cane survival during winter is to grow roses for your zone or below. They should be well hydrated going into winter, and if they're healthy, they will be fine.

Interesting read FARM. Makes me rethinking doing a full mulch covering the rose canes post plating them in soil. I even picked up a couple bags of much last week . MANY sites suggested mulching them heavily on new plantings and leaving it there till May or when the 1st shoots emerge past the completely covered rose.

a1an, I believe it depends on what you use for mulch. Some materials get soggy and cling to the canes, and that's what you want to avoid. The rose society in your town would be your best bet to get the answers you're looking for. With experience, you will know exactly what works for you. You may lose a rose along the way; we all have. Maybe Moses will see this thread. He has great success winter protecting his roses, and I believe he uses wood chip mulch, but I could be wrong about that.

Moses, your wisdom is needed here....

If I recall, Moses uses some sort of collar system as well.

I use bark nuggest, Its more airy. I don't like it as mulch so come spring/summer season, when I undo the over-wintering, I take the nuggets and just spread then on the outskirts of the garden I don't see

Where are you, a1an?

7A - East End of Long Island

You don't need to winter protect there. It is so much work and your zone doesn't need it.

Some of my larger shrubs I will cry if I lose, I burlap ball them to prevent splaying. I love hydra Mac's, so protecting the blooms is a must. Otherwise it's a 6x6' leafy green all summer long.

Heh, when it has snowed deep deep, I think I'm the only NUT, but will put the boots and waders on, and walk up the shrubs and brush them off, to mitigate any splaying. I've replace many a plants here and there throughout the years, just due snow splaying. I can't risk looking full growth shrub these days as new ones take too dang long to replace the size/berth of what the originals one are.

For the roses, some do tie them in a bit to save from wind, but you have so many hardy there that you really could rest your mind regarding the hardiness issue mostly, a1an.

LOL. Don't laugh. Maybe I'll use Rubber Mulch next year. Heh, it does not remain wet.

Ha. When I think of people laying down rubber mulch. I often say who want's their garden to smell like the Indy 500 on a hot summer day