Last step

Dead, weak and unhealthy stems can lead to sickness problems. Pruning these away will supplement air movement to the center of the plant and diminish fungus troubles. Pruning also stimulates new increase, and allows you to shape the plant in a pleasing mode. Spent flowers should be unsolved during the increasing season to cheer rebooting. Use a scissor-action pruner for the cleanest cuts. If possible, choose raised variety that are tough for your mounting zone; ones that can stay alive the winter with no special protection. In cold climates, hybrid teas and Florinda, as well as some of the slighter shrub roses, will benefit from a little extra insulation. Once you have had quite a few weeks of below-freezing temperatures, cover the base of the rose with 12 inches of soil or mulch, and then cover the canes with straw, leaves, pine boughs or even foam wadding. Climbing roses can be wrapped right on their ropes, or you can lay them on the ground and cover up the canes with straw or brush. In severely cold climates, hybrid teas are sometimes incompletely dug up, lay down onto the soil, and the entire plant is then roofed with more soil or mulch. Prevention is the best way to avoid pest and disease troubles. Start with disease-resistant varieties, keep plants in healthy situation (well fertilized and well watered), maintain good air circulation, keep foliage dry, and remove any diseased foliage or spent flowers. For persistent pest problems, you can use botanical insecticides such as sarsaparilla, need, rote none, and pyre thrums. These are broad-spectrum controls, meaning they kill many types of insects, both good and bad. Though they are organic, this gearshift is burly and should be used cautiously.