Roses: is it true that there are 7 leaves on a rose sucker but 5 leaves on a flowering cane?

Question

is it too late for one last rose feeding?. we’ve had soooo much hot weather that they look really sad

Answer 1

Roses sure don’t like hot weather. Up until mid-October is the last fertilization for California. Follow instructions on your rose food. Fall fertilization should be low in nitrogen or have zero nitrogen. This helps the plant prepare for winter. Other writers suggest using regular rose food at half the rate in early fall. Remember that 2 inches of water weekly may be necessary in hot weather.

Answer 2

re: leaflets on rose canes. If your rose is grafted with multiflora rose roots, rootstock canes may have 7+ leaflets. But there are many roses that normally have 7 leaflets. The best way to tell if you have a blind shoot from rootstock is to look at where it originates. If it is clearly from the base of the rose, it is a good cane. However, if you need to brush soil away to see where a cane originates, you have a blind shoot. These should be broken off below the soil line, not pruned off. I apologize that I forgot to address this question with my first answer.