Watch-Out for Pesky Pests
O.K. the rose(s) are in, you're pickin' the "fruits of your labor", enjoying the fragrance, the beauty to behold, be it in the garden or in the house...Wow!
Wistfully you look out into the garden at all your beautiful-what's that? That stuff on your roses—yellow leaves, white stuff all over... You dash outside... Oh no! Creepy little spots that move! Where did they come from! The leaves are being chewed to pieces! The flowers are falling apart! There's black spots, red rust, and the rose(s) look icky to the max! What do you do? Don't panic! What's the saying? "Think Globally. Act Locally."
Be reflective, lay out in your mind the watering schedule, how has the weather been, when is the last time you fed your roses, the last time you really looked closely at them?
Ok, got that? Now, gather up some nice fresh samples of all the gross stuff! (By the way, "fresh" means not left on the dashboard while in the grocery store)Then off you go to your local garden center or nursery to get professional advice.
Every state has different products to combat insects and diseases, so check with your local sources of information and don't forget your local Rose Society. If you have ongoing problems, you may want to consider hardy or disease-resistant roses.