Wasn’t July fantastic? We have been so lucky this year with the weather! However, it is summer, and we are in Fresno, so it could change on a dime. In fact, I was just reading from the Fresno Gardening Green, an article that states our temps will be similar to El Centro in the year 2099 and to start preparing your landscape for those future hot temperatures due to climate change. It is an interesting and excellent article and I encourage you to read it.
So, what can you do now to prepare for the typically hot weather of August? Make sure you water deeply on the days you can water. Cycle your watering. It is best if you stagger your water times, so it gives the plant an opportunity to absorb the water and have it go deeply into the soil to water the roots.
Mulch (about 3 inches) around the base of your plants to help conserve water and keep the roots cooler during this weather. I don’t recommend fertilizing at this time. It is too hot. You can start to fertilize again around mid- to late-September. Your roses will be fine without the fertilizer at this time. Don’t worry.
You can cover your roses with an umbrella or move them (if they are in pots) under the shade of a tree. Trees provide shade and cooler temps during the hottest part of the afternoon. I have used solar screen to block out the hottest part of the sun during the mid- to late-afternoon with great results. No sunburned leaves and the flowers are not shriveled up due to the heat. I take the Tucson’s Rose Society’s advice and use around 70% sun blockage solar screen over my roses. It really does work. You can make a tent over your roses with the screen. I have my roses under an arch and I have covered the top of the arch with the screen and it works great.
If you see unwanted critters on your roses such as spider mites, give them a good blast of the hose in the early morning, daily. I have had spider mites kill a rose bush in three days, so keep on the outlook for them. Don’t use horticultural oil, such as neem oil. The weather is too hot for that application. You will literally fry your plants. You can use an insecticidal soap but take precautions (follow the instructions on the label). It is still a pesticide and can injure beneficials.
That is it for this month. Next month we will start to prepare for our big autumn bloom.
Until next time: “Truths and roses have thorns about them.” - Henry David Thoreau
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Written by UC Master Gardener Rosie D