Is everyone ready for some fall and winter weather? This summer's heat has been horrendous. I know I went over how to care for your roses in hot weather last month, but I thought I would stress again how to care for your roses during this miserable summer. After a brief cool down (if one calls 99 F cool), we are going to get into the triple digits again in the first part of August and climate experts are predicting August to be another very hot month.
How do you help your roses survive this heat? Make sure you water deeply on the days you can water. Cycle your watering. It is best if you stagger your water times, so it gives the plant an opportunity to absorb the water and have the water go down to the roots. I went over how much water your roses need (average amounts during summer) in Rosie's Corner June 2024. You can find that article on our website: Rosie's Corner June 2024.
Mulch (about 3 inches of a good organic mulch, not rubber) around the base of your plants to help conserve water and keep the roots cooler during this weather. Now it not the time to feed your plants. They are just trying to stay alive. Let them flower but don't prune or deadhead them after flowering. Especially if you don't have them covered with a shade cloth or umbrella. You can let the flower petals fall off and just leave the remaining flower to form a hip. You can give your plant a light deadheading when the weather is cooler.
Go ahead and cover your plants with either an umbrella or solar screen. That will help your plant to not get sunburned. This year, I did this for some of my roses and what a difference solar screening made. At the left is a picture of my “test” rose, Pretty Jessica. As you can see, no sunburned leaves and the flowers are gorgeous. On the right is a picture of a rose in my garden that was not protected. That rose is Jubilee Celebration. There is quite a difference in the way the roses look.
 A Pretty Jessica rosebush grown under shade cloth in temperatures as high 115 F. (Photos: Rosie D) |
 A Jubilee Celebration rose suffering from intense heat. |
Below is a picture of sunburned leaves on my rose. Do not remove those burnt leaves. They will provide some shade for the plant/canes.
You can tell the difference between the green leaves of the rose that was shaded, and the burnt leaves of the one that was not.
The members of the Tucson Rose Society cover their roses with shade cloth (about 60-68% screening). Their roses bloom all summer long. As we continue to experience the difference in our climate due to global warming, I will be covering all my plants in the future throughout the summer season. You can see the difference it makes.
As far as critters (bugs) go this month, continue to be on the lookout for spider mites. (For reference, see UCANR spider mites.) They do love this time of year. Spray them off with water. Don't use a horticultural oil. It is too hot outdoors and it will burn your leaves even more severely than the sun is doing right now.
If your roses are in pots, move them to a shady area under a tree or patio. You can also cover them with shade cloth. The temperatures under trees are about 5 to 10 degrees cooler. Make sure you water them in the morning and in the evening on days you are allowed to water outdoors. Let's hope for cooler weather soon!
Until next time: “Do not watch the petals fall from the rose with sadness, know that, like life, things sometimes must fade, before they can bloom again.” - Anonymous