Cool, wet June creates a profusion of roses

June's cooler temperatures and abundant rain created some of the showiest, largest and longest-lasting rose blooms in recent memory.

Now what should you do to care for your roses and keep them blooming?

To help you in your quest for better roses, I spoke with Lance Walheim, an author and nationally known rose expert. Two of his rose books are "The Natural Rose Gardener" and "Roses for Dummies," and he has contributed to or authored more than 30 other garden books.

I became acquainted with Walheim when he was a staff editor at Sunset Magazine and he kept track of conditions in the Intermountain region. He is also the garden expert for Bayer Advanced Lawn and Garden Products.

Walheim explained that there are several things you need to do to keep your roses blooming throughout the summer. "The first thing you must do is start with the right variety. Local information is always the best, so I recommend people get in touch with the Utah Rose Society and get their list of recommended varieties."

All roses are not ever-blooming. Old-fashioned roses, native roses, rambler roses and heritage roses are single-blooming types. With these kinds, it is impossible to get them to bloom again.

Walheim explains that there are several other things that help keep the roses blooming.

"Roses are heavy feeders and need nitrogen fertilizer to keep them producing the new wood that produces the new flowers. I recommend that you fertilize every four to six weeks throughout the summer."

Be certain you don't over-fertilize the roses. You want to keep fertilizing until about mid-August or early September, but make your last application about six weeks before you expect frost in your area to help them harden off for the winter.

Walheim admits that some rose growers recommend against using fertilizers because the succulent growth is more susceptible to pests, but without new growth, you cannot grow more flowers.

Adequate watering also encourages good growth. Walheim recommends deep watering once per week. And roses appreciate a good mulch layer to help conserve water and prevent weeds.

Another important consideration is deadheading.

"Some roses are self cleaning," Walheim explains. "Even the self-cleaning types, like the Knockout roses, bloom better if you keep removing the spent blossoms.

"Once roses set their seed heads or hips, they stop blooming. If you remove the blossoms, they continue to bloom. Most people recommend the rule of cutting them back to the first five-leaflet leaf, but I like to cut my hybrid teas back further than that. Cutting them back more heavily gives the new rose a stronger stem," he said.