Question
I live near Des Moines, IA and my climbing queen elizabeth will not bloom.  The first year it hardly grow.  This year it grew 2-3 branches abot 6-8 feet but no flowers.  It gets about 6 hours of sun per day and I water and fertilize it regularily.  How do I get it to bloom/  How long should I wait to see if it is a dud?

Thanks - Ralph

Answer
Alas Ralph, climbing Queen Elizabeth is a dud. Apparently this rose makes growth at the expense of flowering. So many gardeners have complained about this rose that I wonder why anyone sells it anymore. However before you throw it out you could get nasty. Get some tomato fertilizer as it is very high in potassium, the chemical that roses need to make flowers, and next spring every two weeks give it what the package says
for a mature tomato plant. Then get a bag of bloodmeal and sprinkle it all around the base of the climber. This is very high in nitrogen but it is also organic so the rose will take it up quickly. If the rose still doesn't respond then you can sing a chorous of Nearer My God To Thee as you dig it out. Hope this helps.