Rose Gardeners

Dealing With Diseases on Roses

Preventing Common Rose Diseases

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Just like people, roses are susceptible to diseases and various other health problems. Many of the problems that come with having roses are relatively easy to take care of, but it is always better to stop them all together rather than having to cure them later. Here are some of the ways that you can prevent diseases from reaching your roses.

1. The easiest way to prevent diseases from inhabiting your roses is to buy roses that are low maintenance like shrubs and landscape roses.

2. Planting your roses properly in areas that have a lot of sun (at least 6 hours in the morning), air circulation and good compost for faster draining can prevent many problems later.

3. Keeping different types of flowers and plants in with your roses will help to provide your roses with a better and more balanced ecosystem to live in.

4. Fertilize your plants in the proper manner. Roses need their food too! (see section on fertilizing for the best methods)

5. Watering your roses correctly and in the morning is a good way to keep fungal diseases from hitting your roses. (see section on watering for the best techniques)

6. A two inch layer of mulch at the base of your roses is a good way to keep soil born diseases at bay.

Fixing Diseased and Problem Roses

It seems that even with the best of prevention techniques and caring for your roses, you cannot always stop diseases and problems from affecting your roses. For all of the problems your roses can encounter, there are just as many ways to fix them. All it takes is a little bit of tender loving care, and the right techniques. Here are some of those techniques to help your roses look their best.

Aphids and Spider Mites
Aphids are a greenish brown insect that suck the juices from roses, and can eventually cause your roses to dry out. To effectively treat them, simply blast your roses with soapy water.

Black Spots
Black spots are a fungal disease that causes the canes to turn black or brown in spots on the foliage. To remedy this, simply prune the affected areas and throw out the clippings. Do not water the head to prevent this from happening again.

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Canker
A canker is another fungal disease that causes the canes to turn black or brown. All you have to do is prune the canes just below the canker in the early spring.

Midge
A midge is a tiny maggot that causes the rose´s buds to blacken from the damage. If you want to fix this problem, prune the affected area and then destroy it.

Rust
Rust is a disease that creates an orange powder in the center of the rose. It is caused by wet and calm winter weather. Putting in some spider mites can help with this because they hate the water. You should consult your local garden center about the best insecticide to use in order to get rid of the spider mites. Once you have chosen the insecticide, spray every 7-10 days until it is under control.

Powder Mildew
You can put an end to powder mildew by making a mixture of 1 gallon of water
   2 TBSP of baking soda
   1 TBSP of Murphy´s Oil Soap
Spray over the roses in the morning every two weeks until the overall temperature around the roses reaches 80 degrees.

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