Use this calendar as a guide for caring for your roses throughout the year. Follow these guidelines and enjoy your gorgeous roses.
PRUNING CALENDAR
Why we prune:
- Stimulate vigorous new growth
- Replace old weak growth
- Permits good air circulation
- New growth is what bears flowers
January – February
- Remove 1/3-1/2 of growth
Growing Season Pruning:
- Cut flowers
- Groom
- Deadhead
- Cut to a 5-leaflet leaf
July – August
- Remove 1/3 of growth to generate growth for fall flowers
PEST & DISEASE CONTROL
December – February
- Apply dormant spray: horticultural oil & copper
- Clean up all debris, leaves & prunings
April & Beyond
Aphids:
- Use lady beetles and other predaceous insects
- Jet of water
- Horticultural oil
- Neem oil
Mildew & Fungus:
- Horticultural Oil
- Monterey Complete Disease Control
- Neem oil
- Dry foliage after 12 noon
- Keep debris cleaned up
FERTILIZE
February – March
- Be gentle. Organic, dry, slow release fertilizers such as Down To Earth or liquid such as Max Sea
- Moderate feeding is better to support growth and flowers
- Fast, lush, soft growth can be more susceptible to disease and insects
- Switch to bloom formulas or feed after each bloom cycle
Alfalfa Meal or Pellets:
- Use throughout season to stimulate basal breaks, cane growth and more flowers
- Stop feeding September – early October
WATER
Growing Season:
- Once rains have stopped, irrigation should be deep and regular
- Keep leaves dry after 12 noon
- 5 gallons per week per rose, or wet to 16”-18”
Benefits of Mulch:
- Water retention
- Keep soil cool
- Weed suppression
- Encourage earthworm & microbes for crumbly soil
- More oxygen in soil and better drainage