'Julia Child' |
Enjoy the beauty of blooming roses now through October with a few easy steps, starting this month when spring's first bloom peaks and ebbs. Start by cutting roses either while they are in full bloom to perfume your home or when they are spent and no longer adding beauty to the garden. Both steps are a kind of pruning that will stimulate new blooms. As a rule of thumb, make the cut above a growth node at a five-leaflet leaf pointing outward at a mid-way point on the cane. Cut too high on the cane and the new roses will have weak stems; too low a cut will slow rebloom and may result in an unsightly plant. Feed lightly with an organic or all purpose fertilizer and water deeply. Repeat after each bloom cycle to keep roses flourishing - and flowering in the months ahead. |
