L. Richardson wrote:


What would be the best way to feed the roses? I ask this due to all
my roses get early morning to late afternoon sun and I don't want to
burn any leaves. However, if I wait until the sun is over our house
then it's to late in the day to spray the leaves due to I'm afraid of
black spot. Would it be better to water the roses at the base in the
late afternoon with a Miracle Grow mixture or what about mixing
Miracle Grow straight into the soil and then watering the bushes?

The key is to make sure your rose is well watered before and after your
fertilize because the fertilizer will make greater water demands on
your rose. If the temperatures are really high, wait for a break in the
heat wave. Lack of nutrients for a week or two never caused much
damage, but fertilizing when the plant is dry or letting it dry out
afterwards can cause a lot! At this time of year the transpiration
index is pretty much at the maximum because of many hours of daylight
and high temperatures.

Water well the day before. Early the next morning, dissolve the
fertilizer in water at *half* the recommended rate. Apply the solution,
already dissolved, to the roots if you don't want to get the foliage
wet. Then water well that day and the next several days.