Question
I am in Jacksonville, Florida growing roses.  All of the roses are doing fantastic, except for the Oklahoma Tea.  This rose bush looks healthy, but all the flowers have a darkish wilt appearing at the tips of the petals, particularly the outer petals - this is new and didn't happen in the spring.  What is the cause and can I correct this?

Answer
This is not unusual for the hybrid tea Oklahoma. It is the heat that is causing the edges of the petals to wilt. The heat as well as the sun, will also cause the edges to either burn or discolour. Oklahoma should best be grown where it doesn't get any afternoon sun only morning and evening sun. Mine does well in those situations but when then if we get a heat wave the edges will suffer. In my opinion, no other rose beats Oklahoma in regards to colour and fragrance so it is well worth the extra effort to keep the petals in their best condition.