The following calendar is provided as a general guideline for growing roses. It is not intended to be a list of 'strict' tasks. Many members develop their own 'acceptable practices' according to their own desired results. For recommendations to resolve any specific problems you are invited to contact one of our Consulting Rosarians listed on this web site.
JANUARY
Prune all roses, except those that bloom once a year, through mid February. If you live above 1,000 foot elevation, pruning can be done much later.
Those roses that only bloom once a year should be pruned after they bloom. However they can be pruned lightly to remove dead, injured, diseased, or crossing canes.
Remove all rose foliage from pruned roses and clean up the rose beds of all debris, especially rose leaves and clippings in order to reduce or eliminate fungal diseases like blackspot and rust.
Spray roses and fruit trees with dormant spray products containing copper or sulfur pesticide or with a general purpose fungicide. Add Volk oil to the spray if you detect spider mites or scale insects.
Plant bare-root roses through mid February. If bareroot roses cannot be planted in the ground at this time, they should be planted in pots for later planting.
OPTIONAL: Make a list and a map of all roses in the rose garden in order to record any problems you might notice throughout the growing season
FEBRUARY
Finish all rose pruning by mid February as roses will begin to put out new growth thereafter.
When plants begin to leaf out, stop all dormant spray applications, as these sprays may burn the tender growth. Switch to general purpose fungicides protecting roses against fungal diseases, such as powdery mildew and black spot.
Apply a pre-emergent herbicide in order to prevent weeds from sprouting.
Check watering system to make sure that all roses get adequate water. Consider installing a drip irrigation system and an automatic timer if you do not have a watering system.
Plan soil amendments/compost/fertilizer applications from late February through September.
MARCH
Continue soil amendments, watering system, compost, and fertilizer chores from last month if they were not done.
Improve air flow within the roses by finger pruning new sprouts growing toward the center of the plant or in an unwanted direction.
Continue finger-pruning through the fall months.
Monitor for aphids on new growth, apply systemic, insecticidal soap/other non-toxic materials, or blast them off with the water hose. Continue monitoring through the fall months.
Monitor for fruit-tree leaf rollers descending from the fruit and shade trees into the rose garden by means of silken strands. Do this from late March through late April. Apply bacillus thuringiensis (BT) or a contact pesticide as needed.
Monitor for fungal diseases through the fall months. Apply fungicides only when ideal weather conditions are present for the development of fungal diseases. If cool moist conditions persist, monitor for powdery mildew and spray with the appropriate fungicides as needed. Remove any foliage with rust (yellow or orange postules on the underside of the lower leaves) or blackspot fungus (black spots on the upper surface of the leaves) and begin a fungal spray program for any one of these diseases.
Apply a 2-4 inch thick layer of compost to the rose bed in order to prevent weeds and conserve water
APRIL
Continue monitoring for aphids, fruit-tree leafrollers, and fungal diseases. Monitor for powdery mildew fungus on susceptible varieties. The ideal weather for this fungus is warm days and cool nights. Apply fungicides to all the roses at the first sign of infection on susceptible varieties. Monitor for insects on rose buds in April and May. If present, wash them off with a strong stream of water, or apply a contact insecticide according to label recommendations. Monitor for Hoplia beetles on open blooms of light color roses from April through May. Hoplia beetles feed on the rose petals and leave a lacey appearance on those petals. If present, pick them off and crush them or apply a contact insecticide according to label recommendations. Disbud roses when rose buds are still small for larger flowers. In rose sprays remove the central bud and in one bloom-per-stem specimens remove the side buds from the central bud. Prepare for rose shows in late April and early May!
MAY Cut back spent blooms and remove any fallen petals and foliage from the ground around the roses. In newly planted rose bushes remove only the blooms. In well established plants, go down to pencil-diameter stems, or thicker, and cut above 5-leaflet leaves.This needs to be repeated after every bloom cycle which is about every 6-8 weeks. Monitor for the presence of spider mites by checking lower leaves of roses for broze color leaves and webbing on the undersides of the leaves. Discourage spider mites by spraying the undersides of leaves with a water wand. Apply miticides or insecticidal soap if spider mites are detected. Continue monitoring through the fall months. OPTIONAL: Write down in a calendar when any pests made their first appearance and what action was taken. Also evaluate the spring bloom performance of your rose bushes!
JUNE-SEPTEMBER Continue monitoring for fungal diseases, spider mites, and insect pests. Check watering system to make sure that all roses get adequate water. Adjust water flow in the emitters for summer watering schedule. Continue cutting back spent blooms and remove any fallen petals and foliage from the ground around the roses. For a big garden display, cut back spent bloom and fertilize about 6-8 weeks before a desired event, such as; rose show, garden party, garden wedding, etc.
OCTOBER Decrease nitrogen in your fertilizer by using 0-10-10, or by ending the fertilization program. Continue monitoring for fungal diseases, spider mites, and insect pests. Check watering system to make sure that all roses get adequate water. Adjust water flow in the emitters for fall watering schedule. Continue cutting back spent blooms and remove any fallen petals and foliage from the ground around the roses. Send for rose catalogs and order new roses! Anchor long canes in climbing and shrub type roses to prevent wind injury. OPTIONAL: Write down in a calendar when any pests made their first appearance and what action was taken. Evaluate the performance of the plants in the rose garden in order to move or discard any plants that did not perform well.
NOVEMBER End Fertilizer program for the year. Continue monitoring for fungal diseases, spider mites, and insect pests. Check watering system to make sure that all roses get adequate water. Decrease or stop watering if fall rains arrive early. Let hips form to encourage dormancy. Remove any diseased blooms or fallen petals and foliage from the ground around the roses.
DECEMBER Acquire the proper tools for rose pruning and winter chores: 1 pair of 'by-pass' pruning shears, 1 pair of leather gloves, 1 pair of knee pads, 1 pair of large loppers, 1 folding pruning saw, warm clothes and water proof boots/shoes. In some of the lower areas, pruning roses may be done in late December. Start some of the winter chores listed for January.
