Marianne's Response
Why did my roses stop blooming?
My roses did poorly this year after a few years of beautiful blooms. I live in North Granby where it’s very windy and a bit colder than down in town. Any ideas? I don’t see any evidence of disease. Lastly, is it too late to cut the rose shrubs back now? Thanks.
Posted by Diana Lindengrass on December 18, 2014
Marianne's Response
It is not too late to prune your roses. You can even shorten them in early spring once you see signs of new growth. There are many reasons why your roses may have stopped blooming so well, but most often it is lack of fertilizer. If you amended and improved your roses before planting all the great soil improvements may have been depleted. Roses are very hungry plants. This spring, use both a slow release plant food like Osmocote in May and a liquid plant food like Miracle Grow in early spring when you see the foliage unfurl. Then add a compost or manure mulch on top of the roots to add organic matter. Once the roses finish a first flush of blooms in July, feed them again. I can promise you a beautiful rose garden if you feed them well, give them full sun and at least one inch of water a week. Keep growing, Marianne Binetti
