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Water: water deep once a week until the rain is substantial.
Dead Head: It is ok to leave the dead heading until later on in August. Once you dead head, the bushes will bloom for you. They are deciduous and will not go into dormancy until the days begin to get substantially shorter. Setting hips alone will not bring on dormancy. I will send out a reminder when the time gets here to dead head/prune for optimum fall bloom.
Cool Showers: Give them a cool shower in the heat of the day when you can. They will perk up and the moisture soaking into the mulch will cool the earth as it evaporates.
Keep Weeds at bay: Don't let the weeds and grass grow in your roses and remove precious moisture from the soil. Weeds must be pulled but contact us here at Roses inc. before you try to pull grass, we have a much better option.
Spray for pest: Spider mites can devastate your bushes in a matter of days so preventative spraying is a must. During this heat black spot is not the problem that it usually is but to keep the roses healthy and ready to go when the weather moderates you should spray with fungicide at least every three weeks.
Fertilize only if your roses are being watered once a week. Depending on the fertilizer you are using you may want to reduce the amount to half until after you dead head later this month. Do not fertilize bushes that are water or heat stressed.
Don't worry: The roses will rebound. Though some may die, the majority will thrive this fall. Remember that nearly all rose losses can be traced back to the way they are watered. Too much is worse than too little.
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