How To Grow Disease-Free Roses Kansas

Many gardeners unnecessarily fear growing their favorite flower. Yes, roses do have a reputation for being disease-prone, but it’s often more the gardener’s fault when the poor posies come down with the horticultural sniffles. Here’s how to keep black spot, mildew and other rose diseases at bay.

1. Plant to Prevent! Always locate roses in open, un-crowded areas where the plants will get lots of airflow. That means not right up against a house or other structure, and not in an area where shrubs are blocking the flow of air through the landscape.

2. Morning Sun is #1! Roses MUST be positioned where they will receive the very first rays of the morning sun. A little afternoon shade is fine—and even preferred as we move into hotter regions, but the plants must get that early sun to dry off the morning dew as soon as possible. Roses that have to wait until 11am or noon to dry off will never be healthy.
3. NEVER prune in the Fall. Fall pruning is dead wrong for all plants. In the Fall, plants begin to go dormant, sending all of their energy down ‘to sleep’ in their roots. Pruning stimulates new growth, thus forcing the plants to grow in the opposite direction of what Nature is telling them. Fall pruning always stresses and weakens plants, and can outright kill them if a sudden cold snap freezes all that succulent new growth.
4. ALWAYS prune in the Spring. Although you can safely prune your roses in the dead of winter (“dormant pruning”), I prefer to wait until the first new growth appears in the Spring, when the difference between healthy and unhealthy growth is more obvious. When that new growth appears, prune off the tips of all your canes, and, of course, remove any dead, damaged or visibly diseased parts. You don’t need to clean your pruners with bleach or other dangerous stuff; just cut well past the damaged or diseased areas, into healthy new growth. Its better for the rose and your pruners will never get contaminated....

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Author: Mike McGrath