Greetings, caretaker. We, the roses, present this monthly guide from our perspective. Your care must be attuned to our dormancy, growth, and blooming cycles, which are dictated by the sun and the cold. These guidelines are general; always listen to the specific whispers of your local climate and our individual condition.
Our life cycle transcends zones. We require a period of winter dormancy (chill hours) to rest and reset. Spring heralds a surge of energy for new growth and flowering. Summer demands resilience against heat and pests, while autumn is a time to prepare for the coming sleep. Your care should sync with these innate rhythms, not fight against them.
Our winter dormancy is brief and shallow here. January-February: This is our prime pruning time. While you may see slight growth, we are at our most dormant. A hard prune now shapes us for explosive spring growth. March-April: Feed us now! We are voracious as we push out new canes and foliage. Water deeply as temperatures rise. May-September: The heat is intense. Provide consistent, deep watering. Mulch our roots to keep them cool. Watch for spider mites and fungal diseases like black spot, which thrive in humidity. October-December: You can give us a light feeding to encourage a final bloom cycle as the heat breaks. Hold off on major pruning.
We experience a more defined seasonal shift here. January: We are deeply asleep. Protect our graft unions with mulch if a hard freeze is forecast. Late February-March: Prune us as new buds swell on our canes. This is the signal we are waking. April-May: Apply a balanced fertilizer as we begin our most vigorous growth phase. June-August: Deadhead our spent blooms to encourage more flowers. Monitor for aphids and Japanese beetles. Water us during dry spells. September-October: Cease fertilizing. We need to harden off our new growth before frost. November-December: After a few hard freezes, mulch heavily around our base to insulate us from temperature swings.
Our survival depends on your protection from the harsh cold. January-February: We are in a deep, frozen slumber. Check that our protective mulch or burlap wraps remain intact against wind and snow. Late March-April: As the ground thaws, slowly remove winter protection. Prune us only after you see definite signs of new growth, removing any winter-killed wood. May: Feed us now to fuel our short but intense growing season. June-July: This is our glorious time to bloom. Deadhead regularly and ensure we get ample water. August: Do not fertilize after mid-month. We must prepare for dormancy. September-November: After the first killing frost, prune our long canes to prevent wind rock and mound soil, mulch, or compost over our crown (at least 12 inches high). This mound is our blanket against the freezing winter.
