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Pruning

The important thing about any fertilizer application is that plenty of water will be needed; both to dissolve the fertilizer into a form the rose can use and to clean residue off the bush. Chemical fertilizers can burn or even kill a plant if over-used. Read the label, and remember, less fertilizer is better than more. We admit to preferring organic fertilizers (such as fishemulsion or manure) for their ben- eficial rejuvenation of the living organisms in the soil. Healthy soil grows healthy plants. Organic fertilizer can be combined with slow-release pel- lets (such as Osmocote) to keep container grown roses at their peak. For those who simply want to keep their roses healthy and vigorous, one feeding in spring and another in early fall should suffice. For maxi- mum performance, begin feeding about 2 weeks before the last frost date for your area and continue at 4 to 6 week intervals until 6 weeks before the earliest frost date for your area. For the last feeding of the year, you might want to use a high phosphorus compound (12-24-12) so that your plant will shift to a slower, tougher growth in preparation for cold weather.

Old roses don’t require the stringent and careful pruning that is required by the modern sorts - in fact, they can sulk and refuse to bloom if pruned too hard.Just a light touch of sharp pruning shears is all that is needed for them to respond beautifully. A good rule of thumb is to remove all dead canes and clip back no more than 1/3 of the remaining bush, encouraging full foliage and heavy bloom without destroying the vigor and natural attractive form of the plant. When a rose bush, like any other healthy shrub, is cut back, it responds by putting on a spurt of growth.This tender new growth can get frost or heat-burned, so avoid mid-summer and late fall pruning. Remontant varieties can be lightly trimmed or“tip-pruned” several times a year as they flower on new growth. Roses that bloom but once are best pruned after they have bloomed. Their flow- ers come from wood that has hardened over a winter, so early spring pruning will reduce their display. Rose hedges can be shaped easily with hedge shears and roses in a natural or wild set- ting can be left completely alone unless a hard

winter produces some unsightly dead canes. If left unpruned,many varieties s will produce attractive hips to brighten the winter garden. Feeding Many dedicated rose lovers have secret recipes for rose fertilizers that border on black magic, but we have found that most commercial rose foods and organic fertilizers are fine and give good results.

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Rose Culture