The month of July is typically one of the hottest months in Tucson in regard to taking care of roses.

The summer program started on May 1. At that time, here is what we did as a reminder.

Step one: We filled potted roses with more high-quality potting soil up to 2 inches from the top. A great potting soil for roses is four parts Kellogg’s Patio Plus potting soil (can be purchased from Home Depot or Lowe’s), one part peat moss and one part perlite. Mix the products well in a wheelbarrow and then apply to pots that need to be filled.

Step two: On May 1, we fertilized every rose with Osmocote Plus (15-9-12) and Milorganite (purchase Osmocote at Home Depot and Milorganite at Ace Hardware). Apply approximately one handful of each product on the soil of every plant. Osmocote Plus states that it will last six months. Every time you water, a small amount of nutrients will be available to plants. This product has all the major and minor nutrients needed to produce growth during the summer months.  Milorganite features slow release nutrients as well with the added benefit of 4 percent iron. This one-two punch has produced dynamic growth during the summer despite scorching temperatures.

Then you simply water each plant.

Step three: We added a mulch to all roses that are in the ground. An outstanding mulch is Gromulch made by Kellogg’s which can be purchased at Home Depot or Lowe’s. It is comprised of composted rice hulls, aged recycled forest products, aged arbor fines, composted dairy manure, composted poultry manure, gypsum, dehydrated poultry manure and hydrolyzed feather meal.

June 1, July 1:  Apply approximately one handful of Milorganite on the soil of each plant. That’s it for these months when comes to fertilizer.

Water, water, water: With temperatures near 100 degrees and higher, it is imperative to water your roses as much as they need it. For established rose bushes in pots, this means watering every day. For roses in the ground, you may be able to get away with watering once every other day. For new roses in small containers, you might have to water twice a day until the plants mature. While you can water any time of day, it is recommended that you water late in the afternoon after 6 p.m. during this time of year which allows for less evaporation. Also, it is advisable to put potted plants in an area that gets afternoon shade.

Spray off your roses daily with water: The No.1 enemy of roses during the summer in Tucson are spider mites. Spider mites, which look like small salt-and-pepper particles under leaves, will suck the leaves dry until they turn light brown and fall off. Keeping as much foliage on your plants is crucial to rose health during the summer.

Every morning, spray off your roses with a jet of water supplied by a Fogg-It nozzle (heavy volume, 4 gallons per minute) attached to your water hose. You can purchase this great nozzle at different nurseries in town or on the Internet for about $10.

Make sure you spray underneath the leaves of the plant. By doing this daily, this will prevent spider mites from getting started. The added benefit is adding humidity to your garden which is vital in Tucson’s arid summer conditions.