How To: Protect your roses from black spot

Roses, the world's favorite flowers, are great garden performers that, if well cared for, will live for many years and produce thousands of exquisite blooms.

Here are a few helpful hints on growing roses in your own yard or garden:

Grow roses in a sunny spot with plenty of air movement around the plants.

Before planting, dig in some old manure or compost and some Dynamic Lifter pellets. In areas with acid soil, add some Yates Garden Lime. Treat clay soils with Yates Gypsum before planting.

Feed rose plants regularly (at least monthly) during their growing season. Thrive Granular Rose Food and Dynamic Lifter Organic Plant Food can be alternated to provide roses with an all-round, healthy diet. Potted roses should be fed with Yates Once-A-Year Feeder for roses.

And take heed:

Black spot (dark spots on yellowing leaves), powdery mildew (white moldy patches) and rust (raised orange bumps) are common fungal diseases that can seriously weaken roses.

Insect pests such as aphids are attracted to the tender young shoots of roses.

Control diseases and insect pests with Yates Rose Shield, a combined systemic fungicide and low toxic insect control, or convenient, ready-to-use Yates Rose Gun.

Confidor gives long-term systemic insect control, and once it's dried, won't harm garden friends like ladybirds and hoverflies.

Yates Pyrethrum is a natural insecticide that kills insect pests on contact.

Yates Natrasoap is an organic insecticide that also controls tiny sap-seeking mites.

You'll also need to prune your roses:

Prune using sharp secateurs and a good pruning saw.

Prune most roses in mid to late winter. Wear strong leather gloves when pruning roses.

Make sure that your fingers and the backs of your hands are well protected.

Climbers, weepers and roses that only bloom in spring should be pruned after main flowering is over.

Clear the center of the bush and shorten all growth.

For more information on growing roses in your ga