4 common problems with roses

Roses are cherished garden plants. Although modern roses are more tolerant of disease than their ancestors, they remain a bit demanding. Here are a few common problems and how to solve them:

Roses are often grown in rose beds, so that their growing requirements can be easily met, or they may be mixed with a few annuals or lowgrowing perennials. Many roses, however, can be grown in a perennial border, where they blend magnificently with bluebeard, catmint, and lavender. Other types can be massed as groundcovers, grown as hedges, or showcased as specimens. Small roses can even be grown in containers. The list of every problem a rose might have would be long indeed, but the most common ones are blackspot, powdery mildew, Japanese beetles, and wildlife.

• Blackspot is a fungal disease and the primary problem that weakens roses.
• In arid climates blackspot is uncommon, but wherever nights are humid you can expect to see black spots appear on the leaves, which eventually wither and fall.
• Healthy plants with good natural resistance will survive small outbreaks, but highly susceptible plants need to be sprayed with a commercial rose fungicide as directed on the label.

• A rose fungicide usually treats or prevents powdery mildew as well.
• This fungal disease causes gray or white patches to develop on leaves in a wide range of climates, usually in late summer when days are warm and humid and nights are cool.
• Roses are usually more resistant to this disease than to blackspot.

• Several types of beetles eat rose leaves, but iridescent green Japanese beetles, prevalent in the eastern part of the continent, make short work of whole plants, blossoms and all.
• Handpick and dispose of beetles early in the morning when they are sluggish, or spray plants regularly with a botanical insecticide as directed on the package.

• Rose leaves and flowers are also a treat for browsing deer and rabbits.
• The best critter defense is a fence, but you can tuck bars of deodorant formula soap among plants or apply a commercial repellent as directed on the label.
• You can also switch to trouble-free rugosa roses, which are more resistant to all these problems.

Roses are one of the most popular garden additions, and you shouldn't let their maintenance deter you from growing them. Follow these simple tips and you'll have a garden full of blooming roses!