When do roses start blooming? (esp Gulf Coast)

10 years ago

I am in S. Louisiana and all of my roses planted last fall are sprouting forth with new leaves. I have one bud on a Julia Child that is still in a pot, but I don't see any buds on the in-ground plants yet. Most of the new leaves are still red and haven't reached full size yet.

My question is, when do roses generally hit the first 'flush'? Mine are on fortuniana, and they continued to grow all winter until we got a couple of hard freezes, which is not usual every year here. I wonder if they'd already be blooming now otherwise?

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Comments (6)

seil zone 6b MI
10 years ago
I don't know when roses "should" begin to bloom in your zone but if they went through a frost that killed off some new growth that would have set them back. But also, every rose has it's own bloom cycle. Some like it cooler and may bloom earlier and others require it to be warmer so won't bloom as soon. It sounds like they are growing and healthy so I wouldn't be worried.
Brittie - La Porte, TX 9a
10 years ago
This is an unusually late winter for those of us on the coast. Even my roses, which are typically roaring along by now, have yet to open a single flower. (First bud will burst any day now.) It will be soon though, a few short (ish) weeks, I think, for a real flush.
jockewing
Original Author
10 years ago
Yeah,

Everything is behind in the New Orleans area too, I guess due to the freezes. Do you have Buckmoth caterpillars? They have been HORRIBLE here the past few years, and make it almost impossible to work in the garden during the prime months in spring. Praying the freezes killed them before they hatched this year.
jtafaro
10 years ago
I have two Cherokee roses blooms so far. I should be bloomed out and no other blooms yet. It is the cold winter here in New Orleans that has done it. I should have lots of large buds but I don't. As far as the buck moths go we haven't seen any in three years uptown. There are areas in the city with large populations. The moth comes out around Christmas and I didn't see one this year. When the split leaf philodendrens die back like this tear we get late blooming roses
Evenie
10 years ago
My roses aren't doing much yet. This is a good thing, though. The colder the winter here, the better the spring flush when it comes a little later than normal. The plantains are brown mush, but the peach tree is in full bloom and I haven't seen a flea or mosquito since December.

There isn't cold that could possibly come to south Louisiana that would make a rose bat an eye. If we have a cold winter, they get an unusual dormancy period which they need to look their best for us.
jockewing
Original Author
10 years ago
I am across the Lake in St. Tammany. I am finally starting to see tiny buds forming on several of my plants. So I would expect by the end of March the "flush" will be starting. I have also heard before that the colder the winter, the prettier the roses in spring, so I'm excited!