Rose Care During Drought

Gardening Tips for Year-Round Harvest

Apples and pears are the easiest fruits to grow in our area. Choose early, mid-season, and late varieties for a continuous harvest from late summer into winter. Fill your winter garden with color from primroses and pansies.

Preventing Peach Leaf Curl

Stop peach leaf curl by spraying now with copper spray to help prevent this disfiguring disease from attacking your trees this spring.

Planting for Future Harvests

• Start an asparagus bed so you can enjoy their young, tender shoots straight from the garden.
• Plant strawberry plants now for delicious strawberry shortcake this summer.

Caring for Roses During Drought

Roses are a valuable asset to your permanent landscaping. They should be given high priority when planning water allotments for the drought season. Roses will adjust to prolonged water shortage better than many flowering plants. While there will be less growth, fewer and smaller blooms, and shorter blooming periods, your roses will survive with proper care.

Watering Tips

• Use infrequent, deep watering to ensure moisture penetrates the root zone.
• Drip irrigation, soaker hoses, or other slow delivery systems conserve more water than sprinkling.
• Build edging around the rose bed to keep water in the root area and prevent runoff.
• Track watering dates and observe when roses start to droop to determine the optimal watering schedule.

Moisture Retention and Soil Care

• Mulch heavily with 3 to 4 inches of shredded mulch to retain moisture and moderate soil temperatures.
• Use shade cloth during high summer temperatures to reduce transpiration.

Pruning and Fertilizing

• Prune lightly to avoid stimulating vigorous new growth; remove only dead, diseased, or damaged wood.
• Allow blooms to form seed heads to postpone new growth, but remove them once formed to save water.
• Fertilize lightly in the spring with a mild fertilizer to maintain health without stimulating excessive growth.

Care for New Roses

New roses need to be kept moist during their first summer to encourage a strong root system. Two gallons of water per week should be sufficient. Feed them lightly and mulch.

With a little extra TLC, your roses will survive the drought to enhance your garden for years to come.