Shiva,

I'll repeat what I told dave.
Roses are not annuals so overnight
freezes don't shut down their juices
so to speak.

Last october we had snow and yet
the leaves were undamaged and the plants
continued to bloom well into november.

In your climate I'd think they'd bloom into
december. I'd only protect or mulch if there
is a threat of 10F or lower tempreture for
extended periods.

Of course there are the tender ones that
I don't know what to tell you about. I don't grow
them.

My roses get no protection, no mounding, nothing.
They make it through winter just fine. Even St Patrick
survived last year -8F cold fairly well.

--
Theo in Zone 5
Kansas City

"Shiva" wrote in message
s.com...
This is a great time of year to get some thoughts on this.

The problem is, variable temps and the possibility of

a. cold snaps in which the temps go from 70s to 20s and stay there a
few nights and

b. no real freeze at all, so that mounding with mulch induces canker
and other rot and fungus.

One thing to bear in mind is that in "my" zone 7, it is nearly always
very wet.

Do I protect or not? Should I actually remove the mulch to discourage
canker? The mulch has provided a great home to voles who have feasted
on my favorite roses. Some of my roses are babies--one and two-year
own-roots.

Thanks for any thoughts.