Question
Hi Charlotte,

I have a rose garden planted on the outer edge of my yard. It is also planted near pine trees. My rose bushes are full of black spots and the leaves turn yellow and fall off. Most of the blooming season is very disappointing for me because by the middle of June all I have to look at are canes. I was told recently that rose bushes will not grow near pine trees so I planted the bushes that I received for Mother's Day next to my house.

Charlotte, what can I do to help or improve my roses without relocating the entire garden?

Answer
Hi Brenda;
The black spots and turning yellow and falling off is Black Spot fungus.
I don't know about the pine trees, but that fungus will defoliate a rose bush, and if not corrected, in a few years, it will kill your rose bush.
2 things you can do.
Disolve about 4 teaspoons or 1 heaping Tablespooon of baking soda per gallon of water  in a garden sprayer, and be sure to spray underneath the leaves as well as on their tops.
Pick off the infected leaves and throw then in the trash, don't leave them on the ground or they can reinfect the bushes.
The other thing you can use for a spray for fungus is Horticultural Corn Meal.
Put a handful per gallon of water, let it set for a half hour or so, strain it and put it in the garden sprayer, and spray the same as the directions for spraying the bakind soda.
When you are planting roses, if you can't put them where they got sun all day, choose morning sun over afternoor or late sun.
The morning sun dries off the dew, and helps keep fungus from growing.
When you water the yard, DON'T wet the rose bushes.
Water only the ground.
Wetting the leaves and stems help fungus start.
Charlotte