prairiemoon, some of your questions are dependent on your climate zone, and some also on your soil and other factors. I don't fertilize at all but have always tried to use mulch because of the heat here, and as that breaks down it gives some nourishment to the roses. My roses do repeat without fertilizer, but I'm certain there might be more and larger blooms with it. I don't plant other plants too closely to roses because as they grow and bloom they take up much more room than you might think, as below with the yellow milkweed on the left and the purple penstemon on the right. The latter has grown outward substantially since I took this photo about a month ago. It all depends on the plant, but it's better to err on the side of distance. Happy plants grow a lot.

I'm wondering if you are over thinking it all; that's a lot of questions! I'm saying that in jest. But to be honest if you think that the overall growth is off, maybe a picture would help. We could see what you are meaning. I'm a zone colder than you, so I pretty much rejuvenation prune each spring, so my plants are pretty symmetrical and shrubby. If I have a really awkward long cane, I may prune it back.

As for deadheading; it really depends on the rose. Shrub roses I usually just snap off the spent blooms as I see them. Floribundas usually get a deadheaded with pruners because they have a whole lot of candleabra type stems when they are finished.

I get basal canes when the rose feels like it. I have fairly loose soil and the roses get enough water & nutrients, that they are pretty happy in general. I hope that helps a bit.

I do fertilize my roses too. I usually use a rose fertilizer when they start growing in spring. I use a slow release granular rose food when I can see the area around the canes. Then maybe after the first flush, I will use a liquid bloom fertilizer. That's if I remember or am not lazy about it. I have also improved my soil over the seasons with top dressings of compost, manure, leaf & wood mulch.

I received bands in the spring of 2018, planted them in larger containers for the summer and planted in the garden near the end of September 2018 in zone 5a. They all made it through the winter, even with the polar vortex, except one. My question is when can I start fertilizing them? Do I need to wait a certain amount of time? or does it go by the plants size? and what kind of fertilizer for this first summer in the ground? I used Rose tone for my established roses this spring. Thank you!

Look at the great answers you’ve all given me. This is really helpful.

Aside from the Julia Child flopping, I’m not really having a problem with roses, I just wanted a little more information to avoid problems and get the best out of them.

Ingrid, planting anything in my garden, I am usually planting too close. I seem to consistently have trouble giving plants enough room. I accept the fact I will always be moving plants around, [g] but I am getting ready to plant some companion plants and thought I’d try again to do a better job of it.

Blondie, you make a good point about growing zone. I have had springs where I’ve had to prune a lot. This is the first year I’ve not had that problem with Julia Child, the rose that is flopping. I’m used to cutting back lower, but I barely had to remove anything. Maybe I should have removed more. I do an okay job of pruning, but I would like to get better at it.

I am improving my soil all the time too. I don’t use manure but I do a lot of top dressing with compost, alfalfa meal and leaf mulch.

Seil,

1. I’m glad to know it’s okay to just snap off the bloom below the hip. Sometimes I’m quickly passing by without the pruners but will then come back later to clean it up a little. I thought, the rose was going to grow from where I cut it, so it’s good to know that’s not the case.
   
   2. The new roses I just planted all had very healthy large canes. One had just three and the others had four. I hadn’t thought of staking the rose that is flopping. I thought I was doing something wrong with pruning. Yes, this is the very first time I’ve had this problem and it has really been not just all the rain, but the lack of sunshine too.
   
2. That’s great, I can shape it after this first flush of blooms is finished. I’d like to cut it back a little more and I see a couple of branches that probably should have been removed earlier.
   
3. Sorry to hear you were sick last season. It’s hard to keep up with all the pro-active tasks in the garden, even when you are well, but very little gets done when you’re sick. I agree, roses have surprised me with how resilient they are.
   
4. Outside the drip line - taking into consideration the eventual size of both the rose and the companion plant I assume.
   
   Thanks Seil, this is me relaxed. [g] I’m just curious and having been satisfied with where I’m at with the roses at this point, I just want to see if I can keep improving.
   
   

Thistle Thrower, that's a good question. I read somewhere on this forum that someone said they wait the first year without fertilizing and allow the rose to settle in on it's own. I don't know how often that is the practice, but I took that approach after planting my roses in the ground in April. But since they seem to have established themselves well, but pushed out only less than 10 blooms a piece, I'm considering fertilizing with an organic fertilizer after they are finished with their first flush of blooms, which should be in a week I think.

I would think if your roses spent their first season in a pot and then went through a winter already and a spring, that you might be able to do something similar. But maybe someone else will give you a more experienced answer.

Fertilization can depend upon the maturity of the rose and even the climate where you grow roses (you do not want to encourage tender new growth if Winter, or Summer heat in some places, is approaching). Some forgo fertilization of band size roses for a full year, whereas others may feed something like diluted fish fertilizer weakly, weekly.

I apply various organics to the soil 1 time per year, then a top dressing of aged manure. I have followed the fertilize roses after their first flush in the Spring, with subsequent applications depending upon the product being used. I use a Tone fertilizer per instructions 2-3 times per year. All of this also depends upon your soil and growing season/climate. Have you had your soil tested?

Hi Lynn, Thank you for the reply, I have not had my soil tested. I've just been reading about this and it says I need to do it at my nearest extension office. I have a one-railroad tie high raised bed, so I'm not sure if I need to dig down deeper than that or get a combination of both brought in soil and the soil underneath. I can ask, and I will get it tested. I would guess my soil is loam by process of elimination. The ones that are growing slower than the others are Lemon Spice and Penelope, and maybe they just grow slow. I don't have an attached garage to overwinter, just a barn so maybe I won't be able to buy bands in the future unless I can put them right in the ground. I was told recently not to plant in the fall in my climate as the tiny roots need at least 3 months to establish.

Getting bands in the Spring to go right in the ground worked for me in Alaska if they were hardy plants.

Ahh! Thank you! That keeps the door open to more variety.