Several of our rose bushes have been losing their foliage and are now almost completely bare.
This was an unusually wet summer (it rained almost all of May, June and July. When it wasn't raining, it was cloudy)
My guess is that the plants have been stressed due to overwatering and lack of sun.
This is the 3rd season for these bushes. They did very well last season. Flower production was low this year. The stalks and limbs are still limber and green.
What should I do? Should I prune them more agressively than normal? Fertilize in any specific way?
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
Joe
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- Location: Weymouth, MA USA
- vintagejuls
- Green Thumb
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- Joined: Sat Apr 11, 2009 4:12 am
- Location: Southern California / USDA Zone 10
My suggestion would be to do a deep pruning. I'm on the West Coast so it's a bit different here. However, when I first had my rose garden and was researching pruning, I always came across schedules for cold/snow winters. To that end, performing a deep prune every other year or every couple of years is what is recommended. I let my roses speak to me. It sounds corny but it works for me. Good luck to you. 
