Keeping roses healthy during the drought

Not only are California gardeners faced with new pests, we are confronted with the most severe drought in decades, and with the drastic rationing that water districts must impose. We must vigilantly manage our water use if we hope to maintain our cherished roses – in fact, we may well be forced to go into survival mode.

In a previous column I noted that: "Typical mature, full-size hybrid teas in Southern California soil require six to nine gallons of water a week when the high temperatures are in the 70s. As temperatures rise into the 80s, the rose will require about nine gallons of water per...