How to Care for a Blue Moon Rose

Plant blue moon roses in early spring while they are still dormant. Choose a site that will give roses five to six hours of full sunlight per day; morning sunlight is best. Roses should be planted with the bud union 1 to 2 inches below the soil line.

Water the roses approximately every two weeks. Check the soil twice a week for dryness and increase your watering schedule as needed. Roses need moist but well-drained soil to survive. When weather is hot and dry, you may need to give the roses additional water to keep them from drying out.

Provide the roses with well-drained soil. If standing water is observed around the roses, decrease your water schedule or amend the soil by mixing in a lightweight medium that will improve drainage.

Apply water to the base of the soil, never to the plants. Water on the flowers and foliage may encourage fungal and bacterial growth.

Spread a 2- to 4-inch layer of mulch around the base of blue moon roses to discourage weed growth and keep the soil moist. The mulch should be re-applied every spring.

Fertilize blue moon roses once in early spring, again when the flowers bloom and a third time in late July with balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer, 1/4 cup for each plant. Do not fertilize after July 31, which will encourage new growth that will become damaged by fall frosts.

Prune away wilted flower blossoms, cutting the flowers away just above the leaves. The process, known as deadheading, helps the plant conserve energy and stay healthy through the winter.

Apply a general-purpose rose insecticide and fungicide once a month in the summer to prevent pests and disease that may destroy blue moon roses.