Rose Gardening

June 2006

By Gene Joyner, Extension Agent
Palm Beach County Cooperative Extension Service

This month it’s time for a general feeding of the rose garden to get it off to a good summer start. Regular rainfall should start at any time now as we begin our official rainy season.

When the rains start also look for a dramatic increase in weeds in the landscape and if you don’t practice heavy mulching in your rose garden, you should do so. Use 3 to 4 inches of mulches and this should eliminate most of the weeds that would compete with your plants.

This is a good time for doing heavy cutbacks as plants are getting leggy and overgrown and they will make a rapid recovery. Also if you’re wanting to add roses you can plant roses pretty much year round and they would establish quickly with our growing conditions.

If you’re wanting to propagate roses, this is a good time for budding and grafting or rooting miniatures from cuttings.

If you have questions about rose culture at this time of year during the hot rainy season, check with fellow members at monthly meetings or call your local Extension Service office.