It's still too soon to prune roses

Q: I was shocked to see my three rose bushes start to pop new growth in early January. Then we had that very cold snap and all, well most of that young growth froze. Now it’s all blackened looking and crunchy. Should I trim it off now so the roses look better? — H.L., Albuquerque

A: No, no, no! Step away from the roses with any sharp cutting instruments that you may have in your hands.

Sure, the roses look puny wearing all that dead, but please put the brakes on your pruning instincts for the time being.

Seeing all that young growth so early perhaps warmed your heart, but we’re not anywhere out of the winter woods yet. I want you to mark your calendar for the third week in March, which is historically when roses should be pruned here in the Metro area. As you move further away from the Metro area and get higher in elevation, the pruning dates are even later in March.

I want you to think of all the damage as a winter coat. It’ll help protect the rose bushes if we do get very chilly again. If you remove it, the roses will get triggered to think spring and start to flush out another set of young growth.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, roses are “hormonal” and if you prune on them, they want to throw out lots of new growth.

So please be patient, set down the pruners, do offer a drink to them (especially if it stays dry), but wait until March 22 or even March 29 before you prune up your roses. Truly, they’ll be OK.

Q: We bought a fig bush about five years ago. It had one fig on it when we purchased it. There has not been another fig on it since, although it is thriving and very healthy. Any ideas? — K.M., Albuquerque

A: What I know about figs wouldn’t even begin to fill a thimble. I have done some reading and have learned a few things that you could check and see if any apply to the tending of your thriving fig.

The first thing I retained is they don’t want to be fertilized with a fertilizer that contains a lot of nitrogen. They’ll be missing the phosphorus and potassium needed for blooming and fruiting. A fertilizer created for flower gardens should work well.

You didn’t say whether the fig does bloom for you at all, or if it’s grown in a pot or planted in the ground. If it does bloom and then drops those blooms or early fruit, I’ve learned that if the fig is growing on a hot sunny patio or surrounded by a paved area the reflective heat rising upwards could be too much, causing the blooms to drop. If it’s growing in a pot, that pot must drain adequately. Don’t keep it in a soggy environment. I’ve learned they do require a bright spot to live and if planted in the ground, that soil needs to drain well. Again, no soggy soil surrounding the fig.

The figs that we sold when I worked at the nursery were Mission, Kadota and Brown Turkey, as they were the varieties that perform best in these parts. There are some figs that require a companion in order to create fruit, although most home garden figs are wired to pollinate themselves and since yours was wearing a fruit when you purchased it, it isn’t getting something it needs or is getting too much.

See that the fig is getting the ample sun it wants, adequate watering for sure, just remembering to not keep it soggy, and see if a change of fertilizer is in order. I wish you well on better fig production. Perhaps a call to the master gardeners could enlighten you further.

Happy Diggin’ In!

Tracey Fitzgibbon is a certified nurseryman. Send garden-related questions to Digging In, Albuquerque Journal, 7777 Jefferson St. NE, Albuquerque, N.M. 87109, or to features@abqjournal.com.