Question
Bought house  with large rose bushes in southern Arizona.  Sould I still prune them now since previous owner was absent for six months.  How often should I water since Ihave a drip system.

Answer
Hi, Cecilia (that's my sister's name, too!)--now is a good time to prune, and here's how.  First, cut out any obviously dead wood.  Next, cut out anything smaller in diameter than a #2 pencil, and any canes that cross into the middle of the bush, rather that growing out from the center.  Lastly, cut the remaining canes back an inch at a time until you come to clean white pith.  Try to make your last cut 1/4 inch on a slant above a bud eye--a small triangular swelling on the cane from which a new cane will come.  Depending on how much rain you get, I would water 2-3 times weekly, deeply.  If the drip system is around the roses, run it for 30-45 minutes, until the soil is wet 12-14 inches down.  A good layer of mulch will also help conserve moisture--cow/horse manure or shredded pine bark is best.

Give them a good feeding with a balanced fertilizer (like 13-13-13 or similar), a big handful of epsom salt, and the same of gypsum.  Most soil west of the Mississippi tends to be more alkaline than roses like, so a big handful of iron sulfate or soil sulfur will help, also.  If you like organic products, check out GardensAlive.com--get them to send you a catalog--it has lots of information and pictures of pests/diseases.

You may or may not need to treat for fungicide and pests.  If fungus is a problem, a weekly spraying (or whatever the product recommends) will prevent this.  I don't spray for pests until I see them or evidence of their damage.

For more information, check out the American Rose Society at www.ars.org.  There are lots of friendly folks on the rose forums at GardenWeb.com, and you can always reach me here!
Margarett in Memphis