Archive for 31 August 2009

Fall Rose Care

31 August 2009 by admin.

Not long ago, I truly believed that our February 14th rose pruning and fertilizing handled the care of our roses.  Then all of a sudden I started reading about recommendations for a lighter pruning and fertilizing around the end of August (Valentine’s Day and Labor Day are good ways to remember the timing of rose pruning).  The whole idea behind this is that the slight pruning will increase the fall blooming, and lo and behold, IT’S TRUE!

I personaly am into old garden roses and other roses that behave like OGR’s as many of you already know.  I have not a thing against hybrid tea roses and love to see them in bloom, but the truth is that I am a lazy person and cannot deal with the intense spraying and fertilization program
necessary for those.

Anyhow when you do your fall pruning, just shape up your roses and don’t cut off more than a third of the growth (unlike the ruthless pruning of the spring).  I will  fertilize my roses with cottonseed meal or alfalfa pellets this fall as I have a supply on hand.  However, I have good news for you on the fertilization- Mike Shoup of the Antique Rose Emporium advocates no additional fertilization as long as you mulch well every year.  Sounds good to me!

In closing, this was a good news/bad news blog:  good news- no fertilization needed if you mulch/bad news- prune for a second time around Labor Day.  Roses are to be enjoyed, not slaved over.

Stop and smell the roses!

Submitted by Faith Bikley, FBCMG F2002

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