Question
Hi Lynette
I live in Namibia (South West Africa).  We currently are in our summer months where temperatures range from 33 degrees C (daytime) and nighttime temperatures from 17 degrees C.  I have miniature roses (6 bushes)and I am watering my roses every second day and once a week I spray them with Rosecare3 an insecticide plus a systematic fungicide.

But they are looking worse for wear now and it looks like I might lose them entirely.  The leaves are turning yellow and some are brown especially at the ends.  Am I over or under watering them. I have protected them with woodchips now but whatever is happening they are not getting any healthier.

They get afternoon sun, very harsh, and morning shade.

I really hope you can help me save them, Lynette.
Kind Regards
Susi Howes

Answer
Although a mini rose is the same as a large garden rose bush, because they have such thin canes, it means that they get damaged by the hot sun easier. So the ideal situation for these smaller roses is to give them about 4 to 5 hours of full sun and then shade for the rest of the day. The other alternative would be to place them in filtered sun all day. I know the rose books tell you to give roses full sun all day, but that has been proven not necessary as most large roses do very well with 6 hours of full sun.
Your roses are showing signs of stress because of the following reasons. Sprays should only be used when temperatures are below 24 degrees C or they will burn and damage a rose. The insecticides are very harsh on most roses because they are systemic and are taken into the sap in the canes and heat causes chemical reactions when too high. My personal problem with these 3 in 1 sprays, is that the rose gets chemicals it may not need. Such as do your roses always get mildew on them? Is Black Spot a real problem in your area? And is your soil just a normal one with most of the nutrients a rose would need? Spraying any rose once a week is honestly not necessary. In regards to watering, when a rose goes under stress because of the heat, the roots semi shut down and may not take up all of the water you give them. Because of that the soil may start to become too wet.
I would do the following and see what happens. Stop all spraying and fertilizing the little roses. Then cut them back about one third.  Check under the mulch to make sure the soil is not wet but just damp. Water only when your fingers tell you the first three inches are bone dry.
If possible next spring, move them where they only get about 4 hours of full sun and the rest in shade of an area where it gets filtered sun. Minis are easy little roses to grow but they don't have the ability to fight off very hot heat. You could if you wanted to, and the area that the roses are in isn't too large, simply cover them for a few hours when the sun is the hottest.
The yellowing of the leaves is because the roses are under stress from the high heat and the brown tips are burnt because of too much fertilizer. I think you will find your roses will respond to these few ideas.