Question From: N. G. - Chicago, Illinois, United States
Q: Hi Nancy! Thank you for offering free advice! I have a potted rose plant which bloomed the first season. I wrapped it carefully and kept it warm during winter. In the spring when I took the plant out of my shed, I saw two previous live branches covered with leaves coming out of the base branch and then the leaves started to yellow. I then noticed 2 new shoots appearing. As the new shoots grew, the other two branches began to die. I am wondering when I might expect a bloom. Isn't it rather late now? will a rose bush just produce leaves? I have fertilized and aerated the soil.......
A: Nancy, Roses are party girls, they love to eat and drink. They will need daily watering in warm weather. Hopefully you have your rose potted in a very large pot. Scatter a granular slow release fertilizer, such as Osmocote, according to package directions, on the surface of the soil and mix in with top inch or so of soil. Every two weeks or so you can also fertilize with a water soluble fertilizer at half strength. I prefer Jack's Classic. Be sure to water your rose first and do this in the morning If you fertilize with too much nitrogen the rose will produce leaves leaves at the expense of flowers. Also roses need 6 hours or more of sun. How often it blooms depends on the kind of rose you own. I grow shrub roses that bloom throughout the season, usually beginning in June. Check out the Yardener section on roses. Best And Happy Yardening, Nancy.
