The Rose is the blooms of romance and I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love receiving roses as a special gift. The bud of a rose is beautiful and it opens to a full bloom, usually are perfumed; roses are relatively easy to grow and hardy.
To propagate, take cuttings at pruning time (end of winter after the frosts) place the cuttings in water and leave them there for 4 or 5 days then plant in soil 3 to 4 inches deep. Caring for your rose takes little time, until it is time to prune that is.
Early spring requires black-spot to be treated, so spray with a combined rose spray which contains fungicide and insecticide which will usually combat the problem. Black-spot is indicated by the leaves which develop yellow spots and the centres appear black. It is a fungal disease and should be treated as soon as it is noticed. Do clean up any fallen leaves in your backyard as well as they are most likely being infected also.
To eliminate insects from the rose, try a mixture of cooking oil (1teaspoon) and a good squirt of dish washing liquid mixed with water. It is a cheap mix and usually works very well.
Another tip if you wish to have shiny foliage; is to use a mixture of one part full cream milk and four parts water, spray all over the rose foliage and just watch the results, it will amaze you!
Charlie Carp is another good spray you can purchase from all good Nurseries and it is especially good if the leaves look tired.
