Monty's Essentials 
for Growing Vigorous Roses

1)  It takes a minimum of 4 hours of direct sun; 6 to 8 hours is optimum; more sunlight than this may cause roses to sulk from the heat of June, July and parts of August.

2) Provide a porous medium for the roots to easily reach out.  There is no top growth (stems and leaves) without root growth.  The more rapidly water passes through the soil, the more fresh air is supplied to the roots...this is the most important factor for vigorous plant growth and usually the culprit when plants lack vigor.

3)  Ensure a pH or soil acidity/alkalinity that the plant prefers...roses prefer 6.0 to 7.0, with 6.5 being optimum.  Needed nutrients cannot be taken up and used by rose plants below 6.0 and above a 7.0 pH.

4)  Maintain a cool soil temperature.  Rose roots cease to reach out and the plants stop producing stems and blooms when the soil temperature is higher than 70 degrees.  Use a woody mulch in the summer.

5)  Develop a spray program discipline that keeps the rose  plants from losing their green leaves.  The loss is usually due to fungal diseases (blackspot and mildew) or spider mites.  You must wait until next season for blooms if the current season's leaves have dropped off the plants.

6)  Apply fertilizer as far from the center of each plant as possible (24 inches or more).  The farther roots have to reach out to get the food the bigger the plant above the ground becomes.  A constant supply of balanced nutrients can be supplied by regularly using Monty's Joy Juice (8-16-8) for growth.  Roses are heavy feeders; you can't feed too much if you water enough.  Why not add Monty's Joy Juice each time you apply the water?  Note the size and quality of the new leaves after only a few applications.

7)  Use correct pruning techniques.
     a)   Before new spring growth, cut back all stems until the centers of the  stems are cream colored.  By doing this, the stored vigor from the winter will produce strong, healthy stems that will repeat bloom all year.  Seat the cut stems with mud to prevent borers.
     b)   Don't take off more than 20% of the foliage the first bloom period. Pinch off the bloom once they look old and weary.  Don't cut to a 3 or 5 - leaf - leaflet.
     c)   After the first bloom period and plants have begun to send up new growth, you can now cut long stems because at this time of the growing season, "pruning" the stems/leaves creates a more vigorous plant now and for the rest of the year.

8)  Avoid choosing a rose bed near shade trees.  The tree roots will travel great distances in only a few years to steal water and nutrients from roses and stop their growth.