What are my Roses missing

[Neil Bromhall]

After cutting off the spent rose flowers some weeks ago the new growth instead of being a healthy reddish colour the new shoots are pale green and rather anaemic looking.
Any idea what are my Roses lacking?

[blackfingers]

I don't know much about roses,Paul is the expert but I didn't know that new shoots should be reddish.I was worried that there was something wrong with them like overfeed.Try to give them some food:)

[Paul Narramore]

Quite, not all new growth on roses will be red/green. Speaking to a rose expert at Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, he strongly advocates a handful of granular rose food monthly which seems a lot to me, but I shall try it. He believes diseases such as black spot won't happen to healthy, well fed roses. But as usual I'm drifting off the point.

[Neil Bromhall]

Here a couple of photos of my anaemic roses.
As you can see the leaves are really quite pale green.
Maybe it has something to do with all the rain we've had this year?

[digger]

well Neil if it's any consolation i have roses that have at times looked a lot more weary than yours.

[Paul Narramore]

My guess Neil is that the incredible amount of water we've had has leached some of the nutrition from the soil. A handful of rose fertiliser should sort them out. I have an azalea and a magnolia in tubs, both looked a bit yellowish before I gave them a feed of Sulphate of Iron.

[Neil Bromhall]

Hi Paul
I think you're right that the rain has washed all the nutrients away from the roots and I'll give the rose a feed as you suggest.

It's either that or my rose has grandiose ideas and wants to look like my Choisya ternata 'Sundance' which is looking spectacular with its yelow leaves.