Mid-Summer Rose Care Tips

Whether your roses are newly planted or well established,  pressure from high temperatures, insects and poor cultural practices means you may see fewer, smaller blooms, discolored leaves as well as leaf drop. Keeping your roses healthy and blooming through summer’s heat requires time and attention. This includes deadheading, watering, fertilizing and disease and insect control. Sounds like a lot, but if done on a regular basis, your roses will do well through the summer season, into fall. The first step is to keep up with removing fading blooms. This is called “deadheading” and it’s important to do for two reasons.  Removing fading flowers will prevent the rose plant from wasting energy producing seed hips and will encourage more blooms. Deadheading also helps shape the plant.  

Snip the old bloom just above an outward facing 5-leaf set. If there is new growth already coming on, cut above the growth and allow it to grow, form buds and flower. Make the cut at an angle sloping downward toward the center of the bush.  Hard prune any dead or diseased canes to the ground. Once you’re done pruning, seal the tops of each cut cane with Elmer’s glue to prevent insect damage.   

 

While you’re pruning, watch for indications of disease or insects. Common rose diseases include black spot, rust and powdery mildew. Insects to watch for this time of year include aphids, spider mites and thrips. Diseases can be treated by removing any obviously bad leaves or with fungicides such as Sulfur or Neem Oil.  While you're at it, take time to clear any weeds and debris that might have accumulated at the base of the rose bush. 

 

Thrips will make their presence known by the streaking discoloration of the rose bud. Thrips and other insects can be managed with Spinosad or Bee Safe 3-in-1, an organic product developed to control fungus, mites and insects. Releasing lady bugs into the garden also helps controlled aphids and other insects. Fungicides and insecticides should be applied in the evening, when pollinators are not present, and temperatures are cooler. Roses should be well hydrated prior spraying any pesticide. Roses typically need one to two inches of water per week. The best way to water roses is slowly and deeply, at the base of the plant. Watering overhead encourages disease problems. 

You have a wide choice of liquid and granular rose food, including locally produced Mile High Rose Food or ferti-lome Rose and Flower Food. These organic fertilizers promote healthy soil, strong canes and vigorous blooming. Keeping your roses pruned, fed and hydrated is the best defense against bugs and fungus. Finally, know don’t guess. What looks like a disease problem could be caused by an insect. Bring us a sample of the problem you’re having. We’ll diagnosis it and come up with recommendations to solve your rose and plant issues.   ferti-lome products