Another Question on Roses

[Abear]

Although both my maternal grandmother & my mother have wonderful green thumbs, I was not lucky enough to inherit that from them.

A few months ago, my mother gave me a start off of a rose bush that she had started from one of my grandmother's roses before my grandmother passed away.

Anyway, I had mentioned ot my mother that it is filling out and growing but shows absolutely no signs of blooming. She felt that I should be seeing some by now but could not give me any help beyond that.

I have been feeding it the Miracle Grow Plant Food for Roses as per the instructions on the box.

Would anyone have any idea on when I can expect to start seeing some blooms OR what may be preventing the blooms?

Thanks!

[Sunshine]

Hello Abear 93,

It sounds like your rose bush is growing well. You were right to give it special plant food for roses although it still might not bloom this year since it's a new cutting.

Roses need an open, bright sunny site and need to be sheltered from strong winds. Roses will not grow well if planted in deep shade under trees or if crowded by other plants. Also, well-drained soil is essential. I would suggest you put down a layer of mulch around the rose bush to help smother weeds and to help keep the soil from drying out.

Good Luck!
Maureen

[luv2read]

I've also been told that Roses love banana peels... the lady told me she cuts it up in pieces and buries it in the soil around the rose plant.
Now I also have a question about potted roses:
I live in Northern Alberta where the winters get down to -40F between Dec and Feb so how do I keep my potted rose safe from freezing? I read that they shouldn't be brought indoors because they will break dormancy and die. But I also read that if I keep them in an unheated garage I should keep the soil moist. How the heck do I do that when water freezes in the winter??
Louise

[ellenmelon]

What if you washed all the soil off and stored them in peat moss and the dark (a fridge in the garage) like the growers do? I don't know if you need to treat them with a fungicide first. You could call one of the wholesalers like Perkins and find out? Next spring you would plant them like a bare root rose bush. They would probably like the nutrients in the new soil too.