Fertilizer Strategy: There are two types of rose growers in Tucson. One is the casual gardener who is happy with average roses. Then you have the hard core grower who is after the biggest and best roses possible. Here is what you do for both. Casual Gardener: From mid-February to the end of April, fertilize every […]
Pruning: Pruning your roses should be completed by early February. For more information on pruning, CLICK HERE. Once you’re done pruning, be sure to clean up all dead leaves and throw them in the trash, not your compost pile. Dead leaves may harbor mildew spores and other diseases that can infest your compost pile and create problems later […]
There are two major areas to attend to in January, pruning and planting. Pruning We recommend pruning your roses in mid to late January. Prune your hybrid teas, grandifloras, floribundas, old garden roses and mini roses at this time for a spectacular spring bloom typically in early April. Proper Equipment: There are several tools that you will […]
December is a time to relax in rose growing. Your fertilization for the year is done, and spraying your plants with insecticides and fungicides is not necessary as cooler weather is the norm. December brings freezing temperatures early in the morning at times which is good for the plants. You undoubtedly will see leaf drop which is […]
The month of November requires consistent fertilizing for a peak bloom cycle. The heavy lifting was done in September and October as you added more soil to plants, lightly trimmed roses and focused on a liquid fertilizer program. Here is what you should plan on doing in November: Watering Schedule: November is a transition month for watering […]
The month of October requires consistent fertilizing for peak bloom in November. The heavy lifting was done in September as you added more soil to plants and lightly trimmed roses. Here is what you should plan on doing in October: Watering Schedule: October is a transition month for watering roses. The first part of the month […]
The month of September is a transition month from the searing temperatures of summer to lower temperatures, especially mornings. Add More Soil: On Sept. 1, add more potting soil to roses in containers, if needed. The ideal potting soil is 4 parts Kellogg’s Patio Plus potting soil (can be purchased from Home Depot or Lowe’s), 1 […]
The month of August is typically one of the hottest months in Tucson in regard to taking care of roses. The summer program started on May 1. At that time, here is what we did as a reminder. Step one: We filled potted roses with more high-quality potting soil up to 2 inches from the top. A great potting […]
The month of July is typically one of the hottest months in Tucson in regard to taking care of roses. The summer program started on May 1. At that time, here is what we did as a reminder. Step one: We filled potted roses with more high-quality potting soil up to 2 inches from the top. A great […]
The month of June is typically one of the hottest months in Tucson in regard to taking care of roses. The summer program started on May 1. At that time, here is what we did as a reminder. Step one: We filled potted roses with more high-quality potting soil up to 2 inches from the top. A great potting […]
The month of May is one of the most important months in Tucson in regard to taking care of roses because of 100° temperatures which typically hit. In early to mid-April, the annual spring bloom has taken place. In the last few weeks, old, spent blooms have been cut off plants just above 5-leaf sets. […]
Fertilizer Strategy: There are two types of rose growers in Tucson. One is the casual gardener who is happy with average roses. Then you have the hard core grower who is after the biggest and best roses possible. Here is what you do for both. Casual Gardener: From mid-February to the end of April, fertilize every […]
Notes from a Desert Hybridizer: Posted in the September/October edition of the ARS Magazine, Editor: Steve Jones. Our very own Judy Singer wrote this article for American Rose magazine highlighting the roses she has created in this desert blast furnace. Click here to view the article.
This is an updated version of something I wrote for a blog I used to have. I hope you enjoy reading it! –Lisa Bunker Visitors to my garden are always surprised that many of my roses are in pots. Here’s what I would tell them about using pots in the desert (if there was […]
It’s June and it’s Dry, Dry, Dry If you’ve been watching your blooms fry in the heat, you’re not alone. June is the hardest month for them. Water gets sucked out of the petals so fast, it’s hard for the roses to replenish it before the petals shrivel. I’ve put a thermometer up in my […]
Note that this post is about Tea roses, not Hybrid Teas! If you have Lady Hillingdon, Sombreuil, Gloire de Dijon or Mrs. Dudley Cross, you have a Tea rose, a type that was popular in the 19th and early 20th centuries. They have a loose, leggy growth that is a challenge to prune. Here is […]
Rosarian Les Hayt’s rose tips for April (from notes taken at the meeting): It’s going to be windy, so be sure to keep you roses well hydrated Les uses irrigation with shrub sprayers, for 6 min. at a high volume (about 3 gallons of water) Les recommends Magnum Gro, every 10days, sprinkled on, then watered […]
