This year, my roses struggled a lot. Not only did they take a long time to regrow, they’re also suffering from extreme humidity this Summer. As you all know, roses are finicky plants, and they really need such special care and the right environment to grow their best. Unfortunately, this Summer has been too much for them mainly because of several weather fluctuations plus some pests and diseases that are quite a challenge to control.

The Summer is probably the time when I had to pay close attention to my roses, simply because a lot of issues happen or can happen to them at this season. Usually, when it’s too humid, my roses tend to get inflicted with fungi, which causes them to have black spots on their leaves, and if not treated, the leaves will fall off and the roses will not produce any blooms, then they could potentially die. That is probably the worst thing that could happen to anyone who has a rose in their yard, and the one that I fear the most for my own. Aside from the dreaded black spots, there are some problems I usually encounter for my roses every Summer, one of them are those pesky Rose Cane Borers. You don’t usually see them much until you’ll notice the roses’ stems/canes having holes in the center. These insects are so mysterious and so annoying; they bore holes right through the roses’ fresh cut canes/stems and they go all the way down and they can so hard to get rid of. Also, the Summer is the season of the Aphids. Tons and tons of Aphids stick to my roses’ new growth and new buds, and if left untreated, they’ll suck the life out of every new rosebud and hinder their growth, resulting to abnormally shaped or deformed rose blooms.

By observing all these problems, I’ve somehow managed to learn with time and prepare by having some products that have helped me alleviate my roses’ problems. I learned that by using a combination of treatments/products and treating my roses rigorously have improved their appearance and overall health a lot. So, the first thing that I always have in my shed is a bottle or two of Bayer All-In-One Rose & Flower Care Concentrate, the liquid one. Aside from being an all-around rose treatment, for me, this is a very good prophylaxis that needs to be used during the Spring to protect the roses from any potential diseases. I just use 2 oz. or 4 tbsp. of it mixed with 1 qt. water and that treats one plant. With this liquid treatment, I never noticed any rose burns or any untoward reactions from my roses, and they seemed to proliferate well after just a few days of having the treatment. This formula resolves the yellowing or black spotting of the leaves and restores them back to their lush green healthy foliage. I love that this treatment not just treats, prevents or cures the roses of certain diseases, it also rids them of some bugs, and it also has an added fertilizer for nourishment.

The Rose Cane Borers problem may usually be relieved by the Bayer Rose & Flower Care, but most of the time, they can be so hard to get rid of once they’ve tunneled through the rose canes. The best way to combat this issue is to cut off the stem/canes until you don’t see the holes, but try not to cut a lot or cut all the way down. Then seal the cut stem or cane with Elmer’s Glue or any wood glue, that should take care of the problem. From then on, whenever you cut a rose cane, always make sure to seal the top with a glue so that the borers won’t be able to dig in. The last thing that really makes my roses miserable are the horrible Aphids. They seem to multiply so fast and congregate on new growths, especially on the upper part of the rose where there are new soft leaves and new buds. I’ve tried spraying soapy water on them or pluck them one by one which was so tedious until I finally gave up and bought the Garden Safe Neem Oil Extract. I don’t know why, but most Neem Oil Sprays are too weak to get rid of several Aphids, so I had to buy this Need Oil Concentrate since I definitely needed a stronger formula on my roses. I love this product a lot, and it’s available on Amazon. You just have to put 2 tbsp. or 1 oz. per gallon of water and then spray it on the plants, including the underside of the leaves. For me, I usually put more, like one tablespoon for a 32-oz. spray bottle. I usually use a heavy-duty sprayer that I also purchased at Amazon since I got tired of using some flimsy sprays in the past that don’t hold much and their nozzles break easily. I’ve had this sprayer for almost 3 years now and it’s still holding up so well. I usually spray my rose bushes with this Neem Oil Extract every other day until the Aphids disappeared. They could still come back, so I just keep spraying with this as preventive measures. Since then, my roses’ blooms looked more balanced, perfect in size, and the blooms open well with no damage or broken petals. Also, this Neem Oil concentrate is very economical, you don’t need to use a lot, one bottle can last forever. It’s very aromatic and can also repel mosquitoes. The scent is between lemon citronella, and that’s probably why the Aphids left because the scent is too much for them. I just hope they won’t transfer to my Azaleas, OMG!

My roses have been through a lot this year, but they’re now recovering and are looking lush and healthy again, thanks to these amazing products. Will be reaching for them again next year.

Do you own a rose plant? If so, how do you keep them healthy?