Oh my. What is a passionate rose lover like you doing in that glacial hell hole? Reading about your endeavors has exhausted me and I haven't even lifted a shovel. I admire your grit and determination, but would love to see you rewarded with thousands of blooms on your rose bushes for all your hard work. I bet they could use engineers in zones 7 to 10!

miguel, so your hypothesis is that it is not so simple as merely a longer warmer growing season that allows rebloom but specific light/nutrient/water conditions..? hmmm well right now, i only have one data point to give you - ramona from her post bloom haircut last year. i gave her a very severe 2/3 haircut last year and that could have some impact. i do not recall fertilizing with pellets/compost/liquid after pruning. i watered whenever it didn't rain for 2 weeks. ramona is planted right next to one of my multiblues, SSE facing with afternoon shade btw 1-4pm due to some big trees in our neighbor's yard, possibly in the fall they get less sun due to the angle of the sun.. also cultivar could very well be a consideration. ramona typically blooms at least 2-3 weeks later than my other group 2s... so i just pruned my multiblue today by 1/2 to see if it will rebloom this year. although the summer was late by 2-3 weeks this year so again that can throw the results. wow, this isn't going to be a very scientifically sound experiment - too many variables really. but sounds like fun nonetheless! entling and eden, i'm so excited you're going to do this with me! eden i don't think it is possible for you to plant too deep.. and i know what you're saying about wanting them to finish blooming. when i pruned nelly and multiblue this weekend, i clipped off a few flowers/pompoms that were still in bloom in my rush to clean up the plants.. it almost feels as if my OCCD (obsessive compulsive clematis disorder) is wearing off a little..

ejp3: Thanks for the response re: "ATREANO" I'm wondering, ... how old are your trees, and, how long have you been growing them? Has the taste of your figs changed over the years, or, have they always just been "fig flavored"? Do you think the flavor of a certain fig variety can be improved with specific fertilizers, or perhaps, some growing technique that will concentrate sugar in the fruit? I bought three trees from a nursery out in Westbury, NY. and when I bought the trees, they had already set a nice crop of figs. The trees were labeled: "GOLDEN ATREANO". I have no idea if these trees are the same as yours, or, if in fact, I have a slightly different cultivar of this variety. My trees have large, golden-yellow-green figs (more yellow than green)- that ripen with a very sweet flavor, however, I've noticed that if I'm just a little too generous with the watering, the flavor goes slightly bland. So now, I only water once a day as the figs start to ripen. I've pulled off some figs that were a full 2-1/2" diameter, shaped like a yellow tennis-ball. Even thought all the trees are growing in the same area, and are getting the same culture, one of my trees produces sweeter figs than the other two trees. However, all the figs are sweet and juicy. They taste as good, if not better, than any fig that I've bought in a store. The only figs that I've ever tasted were fresh, store-bought "Italian Figs", or, the little black, dried- out "corks" that my neighbors grow. By the way, all the trees in this area have fruit that's been pecked away and eaten. So far, I've only had one fig that has been ruined by birds, out of the 4 dozen that have ripened over the last three weeks. Just one more question: ... when do your figs usually start to ripen, early August? ... Mid, to late August?

Linda, I was a bit disappointed in Red Friday. Well it was a bonus after all so I did not research it. After that I read somewhere it gives toothy edges so before removing it or maybe moving to a worse location I decided to try. I think I mentioned already that I crossed it with Chance Encounter. Well in my notes today I found I did several other crosses too. My question was - in your experience, does it give teeth or at least a hint of teeth to any flower or mama should have teeth as well? (I remember you wrote one of your crosses and pod parent had teeth). If I have a flower on my cross it will probably be in 2 years, if that, so I wondered if I should even try again (for some reason I didn't start seeds from any other cross other than CExFR). The others I tried with RF were just older plain round blooms. Thanks!