This will be my first full season with the roses I bought last summer and planted in the ground late fall. I have about 12 nice sized hybrid teas on fortuniana and they are all full of new growth busting out. Most of them are around 3 feet tall, but a few of them have stems reaching up to almost 6 feet. I am extremely excited to see what they do this year after having several months in the ground to grow roots all winter in the soil that I worked so hard to amend last year with tons of rotted manure, lawn clippings, kitchen refuse, coffee grounds, etc., and covered with well shredded tree clippings (a Back to Eden rose garden, if you will).

I am in South Louisiana and wondering if now is the time to start my spray program? A couple weeks ago we got to about 20F which is extremely rare, and have had a few light freezes, but this past weekend, we were in the 70s!

Also, how to prune? I have read that fortuniana roses respond to being pruned about waist high. Does that sound about right? And is now the time?

Lastly---fertilizing. I always read about these complicated concoctions rose growers put together, but wonder if that is necessary? I have a large bag of alfalfa pellets and some RoseTone, and some Milorganite. Should I go get some Osmocote? And how much per bush?