Hi,

I'm not sure what climate you're in(how cold it gets there) but compost is kind of a fertilizer, and you dont want to be feeding them now. They have to know winter is coming. Do you have them in full 6 hr sunlight? Have you sprayed, fertilized etc? Minis are sometimes prone to blackspot. If you're not on a spray program I suggest getting some good fungicide like Bayer Advanced for roses and keep up with it. Make sure they are well watered, but I would leave them alone now besides spraying. Hope this helps! :)

Jen

Perhaps birdtalker means mulch? I don't know the answer though :-)

minibot

Yes, I am sorry if i was not clear, I had heard of mulching with compost to protect regular roses through the winter. Since we have pretty mild winters, we have never had to mulch, but if you cut all the plant down, wouldn't it be a good idea to mulch to keep the plants alive and in hibernation til spring.

Do not prune them back now. Wait until spring. Really. For the blackspot, you have to treat them with a fungicide as Jen noted, you can still use those now, and you may want to do so. Other folks use what is called a "dormant spray", try searching for "dormant" in this forum or the Roses Forum or Antique Roses Forum (same treatment would apply for minis). I don't winter protect, but some folks do protect those in pots. "Mulching" with compost may not be a good idea, you could leave yourself open to canker (another fungal disease).