1. Continue to water as needed to provide the equivalent of 2 inches of rain fall per week. Even through
temperatures have cooled off these past couple of weeks the wind quickly dries out the gardens. Water is an
important for producing show quality roses.
2. Continue your spraying program. The temperatures are going to be right for powdery mildew and black spot to
thrive. Insects are still busy looking for a rosey lunch so stay alert and inspect your garden for problems daily. You
may want to have a hand mister ready to spray your buds or blossoms when you spot these pesky bugs.
3. Fertilize carefully. The rule of thumb is not to fertilize less than 8 weeks before the first frost. Early September
should still be safe. Do not use a slow- release fertilizer like Osmocote this time of following ingredients:
- 12 cups of alfalfa meal or pellets (the Triacontanol in the alfalfa is the growth hormone that gets everything moving
- 30 gallons of water Put a lid on the can and let it brew. A good stirring every other day will help you to know when it is ready. It should be done in a week. Once the tea is ready it is time to fortify it.
- 1/3 cup chelated iron (optional)
- ½ cup of Epsom Salts (magnesium sulfate)
- 1 cup of Rose Food that is 20-20-20.
- 1 cup of fish emulsion (optional). Stir this entire mix one last time and put about 1 gallon on the hybrid teas, grandifloras and florabundas and ½ gallon on miniatures and mini-floras. Another tip for more colorful blooms: Add Blood Meal - a small amount around each bush - two weeks before a show or use SuperBloom fertilizer.
4. Check your mulch level. It has probably decreased over the spring and summer so you may need to add some new mulch before cooler weather sets in.
5. Begin finger pruning on prospective show blooms to produce a single stem. Clip out the center bloom on groups that you might show as a spray.
6. Evaluate your roses and look for ones that you may want to replace. Many companies are already taking order for 2008 delivery so if you are looking for some of the hot new ones (or an old favorite) it is time to
order.
7. After the fall shows are over, quit your deadheading so that new growth is discouraged and the plant will begin to go dormant for the winter. A harsh frost on new growth is hard on the plant. Let
your beauties rest for the winter.
