For date related activities in other parts of the country, contact your local extension office and/or seek advice from your nearby:
January, February, and March in the Rose Garden
  • Water roses if there has not been sufficient rain or snowfall.  Use a hose set at a slow trickle to ensure a deep soak.  One gallon per bush for smaller plants and miniatures; increase the quantity of water as the size of the shrub increases.
○  Do not water if the ground is frozen. 
○  Water only if the outside temperature is above freezing. 
○  ​Water once or twice a month depending on
     precipitation amount.
  • Check rose beds for pests.  Mice, rats, and rabbits can do a lot of damage to the roots and canes of roses.
  • Order new roses for spring delivery.

​March in the Rose Garden
  • Transplant roses before they break dormancy
April in the Rose Garden
  • Test soil pH; adjust if necessary  *Also See: Soil & Fertilizing ​
  • Plant bare-root roses
  • Remove winter protection no earlier than April 7th (if the weather forecast is mild) or April 15th.
  • Prune roses
○  Hybrid Teas – remove dead, diseased, damaged, crossing, and weak canes; prune back remaining canes to live wood, cutting about 1/4 inch above an outward growing bud and about 10 to 12 inches above the ground.

○  Shrub Roses - remove dead, diseased, damaged, crossing, and weak canes; and prune lightly to shape.
​
○  ​Climbing Roses - remove dead, diseased, damaged, crossing, and weak canes, and any old canes that will not add much to summer bloom 
  • Fertilize after pruning with a high-nitrogen fertilizer to give plants a boost (recommended)
    *Also See: Soil & Fertilizing
  • Remove leaf litter from around bushes
  • Start spray program for blackspot control if your roses are susceptible  *Also See: Rose Insect Pests & Rose Diseases
May in the Rose Garden
  • Plant container roses
  • Fertilize roses (optional) *Also See: Soil & Fertilizing
  • Apply summer mulch
  • Continue regular spraying for disease control, spray for pests if needed *Also See: Rose Insect Pests & Rose Diseases
  • Water a minimum of 1 inch a week if inadequate precipitation
  • Disbud for larger flowers, if desired
 
June in the Rose Garden
  • Plant container roses
  • Fertilize roses (recommended) *Also See: Soil & Fertilizing
  • Water a minimum of 1 inch a week if inadequate precipitation
  • Disbud for larger flowers if desired
  • Deadhead faded flowers to promote re-bloom
July in the Rose Garden
  • Plant container roses
  • Fertilize roses (optional) *Also See: Soil & Fertilizing
  • Water a minimum of 1 inch a week if inadequate precipitation
  • Disbud for larger flowers if desired
  • Deadhead faded flowers to promote re-bloom
 
August in the Rose Garden
  • Plant container roses
  • Fertilize roses, final application for the season (optional) 
    ​*Also See: Soil & Fertilizing
  • Water a minimum of 1 inch a week if inadequate precipitation 
  • Disbud for larger flowers if desired
  • Deadhead faded flowers to promote re-bloom
September in the Rose Garden
  • Prepare soil for spring planting
  • Water a minimum of 1 inch a week if inadequate precipitation
  • Stop deadheading
 
October in the Rose Garden
  • Prepare soil for spring planting
  • Water a minimum of 1 inch a week if inadequate precipitation
​November in the Rose Garden
  • Apply winter protection
  • Order roses for spring planting
 
December in the Rose Garden
  • Order new roses for spring planting
  • Rest