Why Are My Joseph's Coat Roses Not Blooming?

First Season

• Joseph's Coat roses require strong root development in their first year of growth to produce flowers during their second year. The keys to strong roots are water and fertilizer. Water new plants to provide 1 inch of water per week in one or two deep waterings on a regular schedule. This encourages roots to grow deep to pick up nutrients for next year's blooms; frequent, shallow waterings encourage roots to grow along the surface where they will dehydrate during drought or winter cold. Fertilize new plants regularly with a balanced garden fertilizer according to the directions on the package; nitrogen-rich fertilizer encourages leaf growth at the expense of flowering. First-season care determines second- and successive-season blooms.

Exposure

• Many newer hybrid climbers tolerate as little as four-to-five hours of sun a day, but Joseph's Coat is not one of them. This old climber needs six-to-eight hours, or full sun. Joseph's Coat is a sun-lover for its whole length, too. If the upper or lower part of the plant has too little light, more energy goes into leaf production and growing in the direction of the sunlight, limiting bloom. Because Joseph's Coat roses grow as climbers, supports, whether freestanding pillars or trellises against structures, also help plants spread out to gather plenty of sunlight. As the plant grows, guide its growth to ensure that it receives enough sunlight to flower easily.

Pruning

• Any rose needs pruning to remove dead or overgrown canes, but timing is always important. Joseph's Coat is a reblooming rose that blooms on new wood. Pruning after buds begin in late winter or early spring may result in loss or delay of bloom. Pruning after spring bloom may remove buds for summer and fall blooms. Prune this rose after the plant enters dormancy in early to mid-winter and well before any growth begins in late winter to make sure that spent canes are trimmed back but new growth is not stunted.

Disease

• Joseph's Coat, like many climbers, rises above ground-borne diseases such as black spot. It is particularly resistant to rose rust. Anthracnose, a fungal disease, may limit bloom, and viruses that resemble rose mosaic viruses produce curled leaves, elongated canes and reduced bloom. Illnesses that directly affect flowers are botrytis blight, a disease common in damp conditions that causes flower petals to drop; and rose phyllody, a hormonal imbalance that replaces flower organs with leaf-like structures. Few controls except pruning exist for these diseases.