I know… it is still stifling hot and humid, but better rose blooms are coming. Most hybrid tea roses take 6 to 8 weeks to grow a new cane and then bloom. Accordingly, if you cut roses back by no more than 1/4 to 1/3, especially the very tallest roses, from mid to late August you will begin to have a beautiful flush of new blooms in October. Don’t forget to fertilize with something organic. If you use a granular one like Espoma’s Plant Tone it will last about 7 weeks. Water Soluble fertilizers are great but must be applied a minimum of monthly, however, bi-weekly is better, Neptune’s Harvest Rose & Flower or Miracle-Grow Rose Plant Food are both easy to buy. (Don’t prune from August 11 -13th this month if you garden by Moon, it will inhibit rose growth.)
