Is there anyone still here, I need help!
 

I have to replace all (9) of my hybrid tea roses thanks to the Deer. I
have had black spot in the past and want to know if I can treat the
soil with anything to try to prevent it in my new roses. I plan to
rake off all the mulch / leaves but is that enough? Can I re use the
same mulch? I am thinking probably not, but can that be treated as
well? Should I use something as simple as bleach and water or a
stronger chemical mix? I am putting up an electric fence to keep the
deer out this year. Not happy with how that is going to look but I
have tried everything else. I know it has been a long winter but maybe
if we start talking about spring it will come sooner :)
Thanks in advance,
MJ

Hi,
The old fashioned method for dealing with roses and their fungal issues was to spray both the dormant plants and the surrounding soil with a tar based cleaner such as Armatillox or Jeyes fluid. This is now a difficult situation because EU laws now stipulate that such products cannot be sold for such a purpose because of the risk of polluting local waterways from leaching. I understand that in order to get round some the legal issues the manufacturers of Armatillox have now changed the formulation. I would think you might get some up to date advice perhaps from your local garden centre on this. Failing that, Armatillox have a helpline phone number on the bottles of their product.
Good luck with the deer deterrents.
Regards
Victoria