QuestionMy red rose will bloom and immediately the petals will fall away. The traditional rose form will not happen.
AnswerThere are a couple of reason that petals fall too quickly. The main one is that there is a very tiny little insect called a thrip inside the flower buds. This insect burrows deep into the base which will damage the flower so when they open the petals will drop quickly. There is also another insect called a rose midge which basically does the same thing but usually they will kill some of the buds and the buds can't open. However perhaps the problem is just lack of water.When a rose starts making flowers that is the time it will need the most water, even more than fertilizers. Although when you water it appears that the water has gone down into the soil, if the weather is hot, the top of the soil acts like blotter and the moisture never gets right down to the roots. If it is that then taking a trowel and digging alongside of the bush will show where the water soaked to.Also if you have had a bit of a heat wave then that will also make flower petals drop off. If you break open a flower and look at the base you should be able to see veru tiny insect moving very quickly. Any spray that is for rose midges or thrips, should solve your problem.