Preparing summer roses for a fall prune
AUGUST 22, 2025
It’s August - if your roses look gangly, scraggly, or downright pitiful, I’m right there with you
In mid-September, I recommend all Houston rosarians complete a fall prune to encourage a gorgeous autumn flush. But in the mean time, implement these tips and tricks to keep your roses as healthy as possible through the end of summer:
01. Deadheading
Until the fall prune in mid-September, maximize the foliage on your bush by deadheading.
Deadheading is the process of removing spent blooms at the very tip of the stem, just above the first set of 5 leaves.
Leaving lots of stem length on your bush means you’re keeping the maximum number of leaves. Those leaves will continue to photosynthesize sunlight and create food for your plant. Additionally, lots of leaves provide the soil of your garden with shade, keeping the rose’s roots cool as we (hopefully) close out the hot temperatures of summer.
02. Compost application
Wait until you’ve completed your fall prune to apply any granular fertilizers (and stimulate new growth), but if your plants need a health-boost, applying several handfuls of well-rotted, finely-screened leaf mold compost will give rose bushes what they need.
While a fertilizer application would stimulate new growth in the heat of summer (creating stress for the plant), applying compost is a gentle way to boost soil microbe activity and add some nutrients without putting your bush into a stressed out state.
03. Perfect your watering schedule
not enough water = stressed plants. That’s a problem because stressed plants are more susceptible to disease and pest pressure.
I’ve got a reel that highlights everything you need to figure out what you need to know for YOUR specific garden - because each garden has different sun, shade, soil, and drainage so you’ll want to make a custom plan using these tips.
04. Address any pests or disease now
It’s entirely possible that during the stress of summer, pests and/or disease may have taken hold of your rose bushes.
I’ve been loving this bee-friendly spray that addresses multiple pests and diseases that a follower turned friend recommended to me. It uses essential oils to eradicate or prevent thrips, aphids, black spot, and many of the other pests and diseases that are common for roses, without relying on neem or other chemicals that are so detrimental for bees, pollinators, and other beneficial insects.
05. Time your fall prune for your climate
If you followed along in 2024, I took the advice of another rosarian and pruned my bushes mid-August, which lead to the worst fall rose garden I’ve ever had.
My takeaway - plants were working on generating new growth post-prune during some of the hottest weeks of the summer: late August and early September.
This year, I’ll be pruning early to mid-September meaning that new growth will begin as we (hopefully) start to cool down for fall.
A detailed list of steps will be delivered to my email subscribers when it’s time, and if you want hands-on learning and practice, join the Fall Rose Pruning Workshop on Saturday, September 20, 2025. Limited tickets include a private explanation of fall versus spring pruning, and then the opportunity to practice on a rose bush right here on the Bungalow Blooms farm.
Cheers to healthy gardens, healthy plants, and your bloomiest fall yet!
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