Do you cut down knockout roses for winter?

I live in Zone 4 and my double knockouts are still blooming away. Once we get a freeze, should I cut the bushes back for winter? Is there any sort of winterizing I should do? I planted them this spring and they have done great--don't want to lose them.

Do you cut down knockout roses for winter?
Lucky you with your knockout roses! Although Knockouts need less care then other roses, they do still need some. Do not cut them back for the winter. In fact, don't prune them heavy at all for the first two years. After that, prune by the 1/3 rule at an outward facing bud in the early spring. Clean up around the bushes in the fall, picking up any fallen debris. In Zone 4 you want to avoid the freeze/thaw/freeze cycle, so after the ground freezes, mulch around the bushes, piling mulch or loose dirt around them to a depth of about 1 foot. I usually just pull the wood mulch from my rose beds up around my roses. Hope this helps.
Reply:I live in Zone 8, but have always been told that roses should be pruned on Valentine's day. I do know you have to mulch heavily there because of your freezes %26amp; the ground heaving. I wouldn't cut back until you've had a freeze, but I would begin mulching.