"Minelli Family" wrote in message
...
Here in zone 6, upper south they're just starting to leaf out. I
pruned them
last week. Will fertilize, add compost and mulch them during the
next warm
spell. Too much trouble with black spot so we wont replace any more
that
die.

I would like to cut back on the number of
roses I have. Easiest way to do that is
not replace ones that die. Of course, every
year I say that, and every year I buy new
roses to replace dead ones!

I'm lucky in that blackspot is not a major
problem in my area, which is good because
I don't like to spray. But I have noticed
that some roses get almost no blackspot,
whereas others get a lot. If you decide to
keep roses, you might check for varieties
that are more resistant to blackspot.

Gail
near San Antonio TX Zone 8 USA