roses with no blooms
I have many rose bushes that are doing wonderful-but last year one did not bloom at all. Now this year I have two that aren't blooming. What is happening?
-
grandpasrose
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1651
- Joined: Tue Jun 28, 2005 12:21 pm
- Location: Quesnel, BC, Canada - Zone 4a
Hi Pammie! Sorry I am jumping in so late, but I have been away for quite a while.
Roses are extremely heavy feeders, and because of that, cannot just be planted in the ground and then left to fend for themselves. We need to be adding nutrients to the soil on an ongoing basis. By that I mean feed the soil, not the plant. If the soil has everything in it, the plant will gather what it needs.
If you have been using a chemical fertilizer such as Miracle Gro (blue koolaid), you may have changed the PH level of the soil at the same time. This makes it difficult for the soil microorganisms to thrive and break down the organic matter in your soil. Roses prefer a PH level of 6.0 to 7.0, so you should first get the PH level tested. You can buy testers at your local garden centers.
Instead of using a commercial chemical fertilizer, try using one of the "compost" or "rose" tea recipes in the Rose Care Forum under Organic Care. I use this faithfully, as do many others on the forum, and it is incredible. Take a read through that thread, and you will find all kinds of little things people are doing that is adding to the health of their roses.
Given that a couple of your bushes are not blooming, this could mean that either the bush cannot use the existing nutrients in the soil because of PH levels, or the soil may be gradually being depleted of certain nutrients. The main nutrients that promote rose blooms are Phosphorous and Potassium. To increase your phosphorous, you can add a nice helping of well rotted compost,or a handful of bone meal worked in. To solve a potassium deficiency, again, a good helping of well rotted compost helps, or alfalfa meal (I buy mine at a farm feed store as it is cheaper), some fish emulsion, or some kelp.
On the bushes themselves, the stems must just be ending with more sets of leaves coming, and no buds or terminal flower. This is called "Blind shoots".
You could try pruning back these blind shoots to the first five-leaflet set with an an outward facing bud. The bush should send out new lateral branch growth from that bud, and hopefully have a bloom.
I know this has been a long note, but hopefully it gives you the help you need. Feel free to return if you any further problems, and definitely let us know how it goes! Good luck!
Val
Roses are extremely heavy feeders, and because of that, cannot just be planted in the ground and then left to fend for themselves. We need to be adding nutrients to the soil on an ongoing basis. By that I mean feed the soil, not the plant. If the soil has everything in it, the plant will gather what it needs.
If you have been using a chemical fertilizer such as Miracle Gro (blue koolaid), you may have changed the PH level of the soil at the same time. This makes it difficult for the soil microorganisms to thrive and break down the organic matter in your soil. Roses prefer a PH level of 6.0 to 7.0, so you should first get the PH level tested. You can buy testers at your local garden centers.
Instead of using a commercial chemical fertilizer, try using one of the "compost" or "rose" tea recipes in the Rose Care Forum under Organic Care. I use this faithfully, as do many others on the forum, and it is incredible. Take a read through that thread, and you will find all kinds of little things people are doing that is adding to the health of their roses.
Given that a couple of your bushes are not blooming, this could mean that either the bush cannot use the existing nutrients in the soil because of PH levels, or the soil may be gradually being depleted of certain nutrients. The main nutrients that promote rose blooms are Phosphorous and Potassium. To increase your phosphorous, you can add a nice helping of well rotted compost,or a handful of bone meal worked in. To solve a potassium deficiency, again, a good helping of well rotted compost helps, or alfalfa meal (I buy mine at a farm feed store as it is cheaper), some fish emulsion, or some kelp.
On the bushes themselves, the stems must just be ending with more sets of leaves coming, and no buds or terminal flower. This is called "Blind shoots".
You could try pruning back these blind shoots to the first five-leaflet set with an an outward facing bud. The bush should send out new lateral branch growth from that bud, and hopefully have a bloom.
I know this has been a long note, but hopefully it gives you the help you need. Feel free to return if you any further problems, and definitely let us know how it goes! Good luck!
Val