Thanks for the advice. We haven't done anything to it this year (as far as feeding). We've had more rain this year than the past two years combined! There are quite a few blooms but they're nothing like they were the first time they bloomed after we planted it, they're small, not as healthy and not the array of colors (that makes it a "Joseph's Coat...coat of many colors"). We actually tried to find another bush or two. No one has them. My SIL found some online from Home Depot. Might order a couple more :)

I think that we have had more sunshine in this winter. No winter rains. Sunshine pretty much evry day and it gets sun ALL day high on that porch. It gets it from sunrise to sunset. The last one almost looks like a Wallyworld paint job.

Hi! I am new to growing roses and I really want to start with Joseph's Coat. I live in New Orleans, and I have a brick planter on my patio that is about 9 feet long by 2 feet deep by 12 inches wide. I have grown sweet potato vine, carrots, morning glories, and even broccoli in it. I am wondering if it will be good for growing roses. Could I fit two or 3 bushes in that amount of space? Will it provide enough drainage? It has bricks in the bottom and is filled with potting soil. It gets full sun. I am going to build a trellis/privacy screen out of lattice and 1 x 4s in/along the planter and am looking for a good plant to grow on it. I was originally going to go with Confederate Jasmine, but I really love the color of the Joseph's Coat and have been wanting to my hand at roses. Thanks in advance!

I'm not familiar with this particular climber but the good news is that is IS young so less is morel! The most important thing I see is that you need to get some of those canes growing more toward a horizontal. See that cane on the far left? I'd pull it as close to horizontal as you can. The idea is once you have it designated as a main cane anything growing off of it is a lateral and should be pruned. It looks like that same cane has a lateral that's coming off to the right a foot or so off the ground. You have a choice: you can decide it's a lateral and prune it off at 6-12 inches OR you can decide to treat it like another main cane and pull it horizontal too. (On a young bush I'd probably make it a main cane.)Then prune off anything growing off of it. Really, at this stage you are trying to organize more than you are trying to prune. In general I'd try to get this rose to grow more in a fan shape so that the canes that you keep are at a 45° to 90° degrees. You don't get lateral breaks from an upright cane and blooms come off laterals--more laterals more blooms. After pulling the left one to the left, see if you can't pull the canes on the right to fan out to the right. It's alright if a "main cane" doesn't originate from all the way down at the base, but it would be helpful if it was coming from the bottom third of the plant. Someone posted a link to a way to attach canes to walls that looks pretty cool. I've never used it but it might be something that works for you in trying to get those canes horizontal. https://sugru.com/home-diy/no-drill-diy-garden-trellisHope that helps...