Hi everyone,
I am very new to caring for roses. I have an Arctic Blue, Twilight Zone and Fragrant Plum, all in containers. The Arctic Blue was purchased two years ago and Twilight Zone and Fragrant Plum arrived ten days ago from Northland Rosarium. I live in Baltimore, MD.
My main question: Is it possible to care for roses without using any pesticides? It seems like my roses attract more pests and problems than virtually any other plant in my roof garden. Every other day there seems to be a new issue, from caterpillars to aphids to spider mites and dying or discolored/disfigured leaves. I have been trying to deal with each issue by manually removing the pests as they appear and inspecting the leaves each morning for any new developments while I water my garden. Are there any other things I should be doing regularly to protect against pests? I don't like the idea of using pesticides because I don't want to accidentally kill any pollinators.
Another issue: my Arctic Blue got pruned back VERY severely in March when the weather was already warming up by the landscaper at my apartment complex back in Cincinnati (even though I asked him not to prune any of my plants!) I think that is why it has only produced two blooms this season so far, even though it is a fairly established plant. Could that account for why some of the canes look like they are dying? The holes on the Arctic Blue are from caterpillars that got to my plant the one day I was away : (
I assume the reddish leaves on my Twilight Zone are just new growth, not a witch's broom. Fingers crossed!
If you have any suggestions, please let me know. None of my roses seem to really be thriving, despite my best efforts, unlike the other plants in my garden!! : (
Thank you!
