| Hi, I bought 25 Flower carpet pink #7282's about 6 weeks ago. The first week when all the buds opened they were spectacular. Now there's virtually nothing there. The flowers are mostly gone and there's next to no buds. They are watered in the evenings by a soaker hose. The soil is well drained, the plants are planted on top of a wall of rocks to hopefuly cover the rocks eventually. Can you tell me their habits and what I can do to promote more blooms? The foliage is growing. I have a black thumb and would love to have these roses be a success. Thanking you in advance.... Sally White |
| Your roses are probably devoting most of their energy to becoming rooted, then will need to rebuild their strength to bloom again, so it may take some time. Roses do best in full sun and in an evenly moist yet well drained soil. Based on your description it sounds like their planting site may be on the hot and dry side, but I am not sure you are watering the most appropriate way. Your watering should be done -- as needed-- to supplement rain and keep the soil damp but never sopping wet or saturated. It is usually better to water less often but deeply than to sprinkle lightly every day, and there is no set schedule for watering. It depends on the weather and the soil. To know if you need to water, dig into the soil with your finger. If it is still damp you do not need to water yet. When you do water, water slowly and deeply so it soaks down and encourages deep rooting. Wait a few hours after watering and then dig down to see how far the water went -- it can be surprising. Also, using an organic mulch can help keep the soil more evenly moist, holds down weeds, and also helps feed the soil gradually as it breaks down over time. To promote more blooms, you can consider a light shearing to remove the faded blooms, make sure to keep the soil evenly moist but not sopping wet, and possibly apply a top dressing of good quality compost. This is a low maintenance rose, however if you have not already done so you can also fertilize with a general purpose granular or slow release fertilizer such as 10-10-10 per the label instructions. Do not be tempted to overfertilize as this will stress the plants rather than help them. Good luck with your rose! |
