Rose saga: thinking about pruning back in June?

I'm late as usual, but my 2 cents worth.

3 summers ago, I was battling rust in a bad way.

By Mid July, I gave in and stripped and pruned my roses back almost as severe as a spring prune.

Not one single leaf was left on.

I doubled the plant food like you do in spring and stopped feeding by the first of September and my roses were fantastic.

They bloomed late into the season and the new growth had time to harden off.

I'm in Michigan Z5 and we can get our share of hot and humid weather (not this year)ideal for fungus.

Any way, I suggest you do it..... you do have a longer growing season.

The long canes are weak and very little foliage to make food.

For what it is worth, I am A State Certified nurseryman.

Ron

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www.gardening-for-wildlife.com

Hmmm... That's interesting -- you and Pinkie are saying some similar things... and we do have a longer growing season here... not as long as Florida, but longer than Michigan!

I haven't updated the rose saga in a while. Two are doing pretty well and are actually still blooming -- bless their hearts, they've had a struggle! They each have some healthy growth all along the canes so I'm "encouraged" though still watchful. The third, and the oldest, btw... well, that continues to be touch and go, if you ask me. New growth on the ends of the canes, the rest is just a mess. We are into the hottest, dryest part of the summer... I am still tempted to prune that one back... it is just almost painful for me to look at it, if you can imagine that.

I will look at it again in the next day or so and think about your comments, Papa2 and Pinkie...

Bear in mind, I have NOT A CLUE about roses... have never even fed the poor things before this year. So I feel very "in the dark" mostly.

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Daisybeans/MaryAnn

"Once the relation between poetry and the soil is well established in the mind, all growing things are endowed with more than material beauty." -Elizabeth Lawrence