Here it is September and, weather-wise, summer is over. This was one of the coolest summers on record in New England and June and July were certainly the wettest about 18 inches of rain. Now the forecasters are predicting days in the mid 70s so soon we will be bringing this season to a close. But before we do, there are some nice rose days ahead. The cooler temperatures bring out the bloom colors and blooms last longer.

There are a couple of lessons to be learned from this season. First, roses love water. My bushes are greener and have thicker canes than they have had in a number of years. Some of my bush roses are now over six feet tall. I only watered my roses twice this year. Mother Nature took care of the rest.

September Rose Lessons

I read an interesting article the other day. The author was suggesting that for every 10 degrees above 50 degrees, roses should be watered one additional time a week. So if the temperature is 60, water one time each week, when it is 70, water twice a week and so on. So if the temperature hits 100, you should be watering 5 times a week. Roses need lots of water and as long as their soil is well drained they will be happy. This rainy season was proof for me.

The second lesson is that, for the most part, roses are quite resilient. They have weathered these adverse conditions of heavy rains and lack of sun and despite the onset of diseases and insects they seem to be thriving. It looks to me like the roses will go into the winter in good condition.

So what should we be doing now? First of all, no fertilizer. That should have been stopped by August 15th. Next, if the weather is dry be sure to water. With the cooler weather, not much should be needed, but keep an eye on the roses and the rain gauge. You don’t want them to be thirsty.

Cool Temps

The cooler temperatures tend to brighten the colors so the roses look really good. When cutting stems, cut them a little shorter we dont want to encourage new growth at this late date. Some rose growers I know dont cut blooms, but pull off the spent petals and leave the hips on the bush. Its another signal to the rose that its time to slow down. Its also a good idea to keep picking up spent petals and fallen leaves. It will make fall and spring clean up easier.

September is also a good time to take a soil sample and get it tested. You want to adjust the soil pH and letting lime sit in the bed over winter is a good way to do it. In some parts of the country, with high pH conditions, sulfur compounds are needed for pH adjustment.

If you arent recycling your grass clippings and tree leaves, its that time of year to think about starting your own compost pile. Well talk some about that next time.