May is a great time to start thinking about disease and pest control. Roses are subject to certain insect and disease problems. There is rust, downy mildew, black spot, and powdery mildew. A good product to use is a copper base fungicide.
You also need to be protected from aphids, rose saw flies, and Japanese beetles. For pest control only, Captain Jack’s dead bug juice is a great preventative. It also will not harm beneficial insects.
A very good product for a combination approach is Bayer All in one. It’s a fungicide, insecticide, and fertilizer in one product. It only needs to be applied every 6 weeks. If you don’t use the whole bottle this season, bring it inside with all your other liquid products to keep them from freezing. You can use the remaining amount next year.
Something you should consider doing is soil testing. You need to know what PH value your soil is. The water and soil in this area is usually alkaline. Roses like slightly acidic soil,6.5 to 6.2. I fertilize with Miracid every 6 weeks. If your soil is too alkaline, your roses will grow but won’t thrive.
Have a rose question of your own? Larry can be reached at larrytheroseguy@gmail.com.