Rose help, please!

9 years ago

I'm not a rose gardener, so I really don't know what to do.

I have never pruned my roses like I should... and I think I'm now seeing the fruit of my lack of labor. My roses don't seem to be putting out new growth this year.

These are bush type roses but the "bush" consists of about 2 canes per plant. There are only a few leaves on those canes. I've had a few blooms, but now, nothing... no new leaves. What few new leaves I've seen on one or 2 of them, the japanese beetles have gotten to. Now that I have the beetles under control, I was expecting growth & there is none!

Is it too late to do a heavy pruning or should I just wait until spring? I've deadheaded when the blooms have withered, but I've been afraid to do much more than that.

Comments (5)

jacqueline9CA
9 years ago
Are you in climate zone 7? If not, do you know what zone you are in? Do you know what type of roses these are - are they hybrid teas? If they were mine, I would just make sure that they have adequate water and rose food (just food - no poisons included - just follow the directions), and let them be for now. I assume you had to spray insecticide all over them to get rid of the beetles? Perhaps they need a rest from chemicals that kill bugs.

Jackie
rbcary
Original Author
9 years ago
Hi Jackie, thanks so much for answering.

Yes, we are zone 7.

If I had to guess, the majority of these are hybrid tea roses.

I did hit them a couple of times with bug killer, but not in the last month. I hated doing it, so I set up traps and those plus time seem to have helped a lot.

I don't have regular rose food (for shame!)... just the stuff with additives (which I haven't used because we have honey bees & was worried about them). The only plain fert- non-rose that I have are organics that I use on the veggies (I've tried a little of that on the roses-didn't do much-) and miracle grow.

Thanks again! Rachell
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dublinbay z6 (KS)
9 years ago
For fertilizer for your roses, get some Rose-Tone (or Plant-Tone) from Home Depot or similar place. Great organic stuff. Roses love it.

But roses aren't really overly fussy. Tomato food or any other food that is evenly balanced (such as 10-10-10) would be just fine also.

Kate
AquaEyes 7a NJ
9 years ago
If you can't find Rose Tone, I've been very happy with Jobe's Organic Knock-Out fertilizer. But as Kate said, "roses aren't really overly fussy." If you find cheaper organic fertilizers with similar ratios (the N-P-K is listed as #-#-# on the bags), they'll work as well. Feed the soil, and the soil will feed the plants.

:-)

~Christopher
mzstitch
9 years ago
Roses are heavy feeders, and if you have not been fertilizing at all this is definitly where you need to start. I use 10-10-10 with very good results so if that's what you have at home use that. If the plants only have a few leaves you definitly don't want to cut any off, so since you didn't prune this year I would just wait til next Feb. to prune. Theres great online videos to show you how to prune if you need some tips. Heres one I like. http://www.youtube.com/user/AshdownRoses

Here is a link that might be useful: Ashdown Roses