Question
southern British Columbia.

I have just started container rose garden, and am reading voraciously as to how to look after them......but really need more information as to how to look after them disease wise.......Do I cut off any leaf that appears diseased.......what is the best thing to do to prevent this........without getting into too many different types of insecticides......thank you Irene Sage

Answer
The main reason that roses gets diease in containers quicker , is because they like their roots cool and containers often make the roots too warm. Make sure you water them well, especially when the weather gets hot. Also using a potted soil mix is a big help as ordinary garden soil gradually gets very compacted, smothers the roots and won't let the water go through. Using a mulch all around the top of the container is a another good idea as this stops the suns hot rays from burning.
If you see any grey mildew on the rose, you can use a fungicide or you can spray it with 1 tablespoon of baking soda to 4 quarts of water. Cover the leaves well and keep doing it until there is no more sign of mildew.
Black spot is a tough one to get rid of organically. Don't take the leaves off unless they have a lot of black spots on them or they are a yellowish colour. A little black spot won't hurt tor kill the rose so unless it isn't total covered with the disease then just pick off the really bad leaves.
Because the rose is in a container you should be able to pick off any reasonable sized insects. Others that are small just put your hand as a shield behind the cane or part of the rose and then use the hose nozzle on a fine hard spray, using the hose alone could break or damage the canes and leaves. Hope this helps. Lynnette