The only thing I would consider doing and will is put down alfalfa around the first of Dec..

I fertilize each and ever month, and I don't consider winter vs summer. Yes, you're in a watering ban. I
would just make certain they also have enough water
before fertilizing. Bonne chance with your drought. I
thought that Noel would have fixed you up, but it didn't.

Thank you both!

In my garden and at the arboretum rose gardens where I work, we stop feeding as growth slows in the fall. So, we've had our 1st light frost and we have stopped. We will resume feeding when new growth starts in the spring. The next thing we are doing in the gardens is pulling the mulch back at the base of each plant & cleaning up any rose leaves which have fallen, then topdressing with compost. We scratch the compost in a bit and then remulch the entire bed. When the first hard freeze is predicted, we will WATER all the roses, esp. the most tender-- teas & chinas. Oh! down there you may not GET any hard freezes, lucky you!

I would not fertilize in November I never did. I will use 0-0-21 that is potassium (or rather sul-po-mag) that should help to strengthen the plants for winter and at the same time if the weather stays warm enough it will give the roses a bit of extra push to bloom.

Florida is different. In zone 8 I see no advantage to put down alfalfa in November or December - if the weather and the soil cool down, alfalfa will not break down anyway. But if it does, it can do more harm than good if we get a freeze; and we will. Just MHO.

I believe that the rose can suffer if it isn't watered well before fertilizing. So with the ban and the drought continuing I wouldn't fertilize.

I would not fertilize in November I never did. I will use 0-0-21 that is potassium (or rather sul-po-mag) that should help to strengthen the plants for winter and at the same time if the weather stays warm enough it will give the roses a bit of extra push to bloom.

Florida is different. In zone 8 I see no advantage to put down alfalfa in November or December - if the weather and the soil cool down, alfalfa will not break down anyway. But if it does, it can do more harm than good if we get a freeze; and we will. Just MHO.

I'm in Zone 9b, and I don't fertilize in November either. We get our annual rains in the winter. Nitrogen fertilizer leaches out of the soil and pollutes the groundwater at this time of year. I don't fertilize until right before the last rain of the year. It's always fun predicting the weather to know when that is.

Thank you all for great advice!
Natalie