Hybrid Tea Roses Not Producing Roses?

Question:

I have two Assorted Hybrid Tea Roses that I purchased at Lowes. They have no thorns. They have not produced any roses but the bushes are very large and always putting on new growth. Should I prune them or what ? They do not say they are climbing roses. They are supposed to be a variety of colors.

Thanks for any help.

Hardiness Zone: 9a

Toehead from Loranger, LA

Answer:

Toehead,There are three main reasons to prune roses: to train/maintain their shape, to keep them healthy and free from disease (by opening them up to greater air circulation) and to encourage larger or greater numbers of blooms. With Hybrid Tea roses, it's generally considered a good idea to remove any thin or non-productive wood less than a pencil's width in diameter in order to encourage blooming on the more robust canes. A hard pruning on Hybrid Teas tends to result in larger (but fewer) blooms. You don't mention how old your rose plants are, but first year plants should not be pruned (or at least pruned only very lightly) so that they can focus on establishing a strong, healthy root system. Before you prune young roses, make sure all of their basic growing requirements are being met. Any of the following conditions can contribute to a lack of blooms:

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1. Lack of sun. For optimum performance, they should be receiving at least 6 hours of direct sun a day.

2. Lack of water. Give them at least 1/2 inch per week during the growing season-more during temperature extremes.

3. Lack of maturity. New rose plants may fail to bloom for the first year or two while they focus on getting established.

4. Incorrect soil pH. Roses like slightly acidic soil (6.0-6.8). When the pH of the soil falls out of this range, the ability of your rose plants to take up nutrients from the soil will be compromised and they may not get enough of the food they need to flower.

5. Incorrect amounts of fertilizer. Too much nitrogen can encourage the growth of leaves and stems, but inhibit the production of flowers. On the other hand, not enough fertilizer can result in sparse foliage so that your plants don't produce enough energy to produce flowers.

Good luck!Ellen