September Rose Care
In about 2 more weeks (Mid-September) the nights should start cooling down as the humidity moves out of Arizona. This is a good time to start fertilizing again. But because it gets so hot during the day, if you are going to use Miracle Gro, as I do, the best time to fertilize is, as the sun is setting and not hitting your rose bushes directly. That way the leaves are not burnt by the fertilizer. In September, I feritilize at half dose, using the Miracle Gro sprayer, so about six seconds per plant. Fertilizing now will give them time to dry over night, so you won’t burn the foliage on the plant.
This time of year, I also start lightly pruning my roses. Mostly, I just take off the candelabra’s. Cutting the rose bush down to about waist height. I remove spindly and dead canes, and branches that are crossing each other.
I continue to give the rose bushes a nice cool spray bath about once a week early in the morning. For me that’s usually Saturday or Sunday. You can do this until you prune in the December or January.
You should start seeing some really nice blooms toward the middle to end of October. Yeah!!!
