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A reader recently sent a note asking about rose care. She has a rose bush that bloomed for five years, but there haven't been any blooms in recent years. With just this limited information I would guess that the grafted rose died and the rootstock took over.
She said after giving it rose food the bush grew fast and tall but had no flowers. This sounds exactly like the expected response when the rootstock flourishes. I have a rose that did the same thing. It's in a back corner of the yard, so its foliage just acts as a background plant now. When it gets too wild I cut it back.
Once the grafted rose dies there is nothing to be done. Normally it's best to replace it with a healthy bush. All modern roses are grafted onto rootstock. The most popular rootstock in Florida is probably the fortuniana.
If you want to give roses a try, follow some simple suggestions. Start with a rose on fortuniana rootstock, specifically grown in Florida for Florida soil and climate. Locate a spot with full sun for a minimum of six hours a day. Morning sun will ensure that leaves dry early and result in fewer disease problems. The soil should have good drainage, and don't plant in a low spot.
Plant a rose at the same depth it is in the pot. Roses should be spaced 3 to 5 feet apart depending on the variety. Dig the hole approximately 18 inches by 18 inches. Add some good potting soil to the hole and a little starter fertilizer.
Gently remove the rose bush from the pot so as not to disturb the root system. Pack soil firmly around the rose and mulch about 2 to 3 inches deep. Mulch helps reduce weeds, retains moisture and keeps the soil at a more even temperature. Do keep the mulch away from the bush's stem as rot may result if moisture is held too closely to the stem.
Water daily for at least 2 weeks to help establish the rose. Depending upon the weather, water approximately 1 inch twice a week. Proper fertilization and watering will dramatically reduce disease problems. A healthy plant is less likely to be attacked. Yellow leaves generally indicate that the rose bush needs more water. Use a premium fertilizer that includes the minor elements. A slow-release fertilizer is good, or you could use a fertilizer that also includes a systemic insecticide.
Blackspot can be a problem in rose growing. This is a fungus that thrives in warm, wet conditions, so unless you grow resistant varieties be prepared to fight this problem. To treat blackspot ask your garden center for specific chemicals.
Highs and lows of fertilizers can make your plant more susceptible to blackspot. This is another good reason to use a slow-release formulation. To further reduce the possibility of blackspot, water roses when the leaves are dry, making sure that after watering, the leaves have time to dry before sundown.
Dieback is not naturally occurring but is a symptom of over-fertilization. Too much of a good thing can cause problems.
Roses may sound like a lot of extra work. But often the rewards, in the form of beautiful flowers, are worth the effort. If you talk to 10 gardeners, five will say roses are easy to grow here, and the other five will maintain they are impossible. Try just one and see how you like it.
Just a reminder: If you store anything in your garden, such as a wheelbarrow, cart or pots, they can become dangerous projectiles when we have high winds. Before we felt the limited effects of Dennis last weekend, I took a walk around my yard specifically looking for such items. I have an area of the yard where I store my extra pots. I moved these into the garage just to be safe. I'd rather be a little crowded in my garage than endanger a neighbor or myself.
I watched the weather carefully and didn't feel the need to move my hanging orchids, heavy potted plants or furniture in from the yard. I did this a number of times last hurricane season and probably (hopefully not) will have to repeat that exercise again this year. I was surprised at the number of branches that neighbors lost during this relatively minor storm. Just a good indication of what might happen if the winds really blow.
Summer gardening often means running outside between rainstorms to get our chores completed. Last weekend saw our yard mowed but not edged. That became a weekday project. Enjoy your garden and keep your chores up-to-date just in case extended periods of rain keep you in the house.