Enjoy the first blooms of roses while pruning and shaping

By mid-May you should be enjoying the first bloom cycle of your roses. We all anticipate that first bloom as they are usually the best and they are the result of your exercise of the best practices of horticulture, pruning, soil preparation, fertilizing, and irrigating. Also, we’re more attentive in observing our gardens during this period.

As this cycle fades and the flowers age, it is best to at the very least remove the petals before they fall to the ground. If you miss this opportunity, attempt to remove them from the soil surface as soon as you can to prevent or reduce plant diseases.

The...