You plant the roses while they are dormant. The resting plants have no leaves but still need water.

When growing roses, the soil should feel moist deep down. Watering should be done in the morning. You can avoid problems like black spot and mildew that way.

Be careful not to water roses too much. Too much water can cause unhealthy discoloration on the leaves. After heavy rains or too much watering, try temporarily pulling away mulch from around the roots. Doing that will help dry the soil.

Placing mulch around rose plants is normally a good idea. Mulch suppresses weeds and holds moisture in the soil. You can use mulch made from bark, pine needles, cottonseed or oak leaves.

If the soil is very dry, you can add peat or compost to help condition it. If aphids, thrips or other insects invade your rose bushes, you may be able to force them off with just a strong spray of water.

And that’s the VOA Special English Agriculture Report, written by Jerilyn Watson. Share your stories about growing roses at voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Karen Leggett.