1.  Water as needed--no more than twice weekly.

2.  In mid-February prune bushes by removing approximately 1/3 of height, all dead and twiggy growth, any canes rubbing, competing for the same space, or growing toward the center of the bush.  Remove all diseased foliage.

3.  Apply organic materials around each bush: 2-3 cups per bush of a commercial product such as Purely Organic (Shealy’s) or Mills Magic.  Or if you have spare time and money, apply 2-3 cups of homemade equivalent by mixing 1 part each of dried manure, fish meal, cottonseed meal, alfalfa meal, Milorganite, etc., and 1/8 part each of Epsom Salt, blood meal, bone meal, seaweed extract, etc. to make your own mix.

4.  Apply a dormant spray (horticultural oil, lime-sulfur, or Daconil, etc.) after pruning.

5.  As soon as leaves emerge, begin spray program every 7-10 days.*  For small gardens, add a fungicide recommended for controlling black spot on roses, such as Orthenex, RosePride, or Immunox, per manufacturer’s directions, to 1 gallon of water (enough for approximately 20 large bushes).**  Add ½ tsp. white vinegar, ¼ tsp. liquid soap (such as Ivory) or a commercial spreader-sticker per manufacturer’s instructions.  Spray entire bush, including undersides of leaves.  This spray program must be continued until November.

6.  Cover the beds with 2-3 inches of organic mulch; pine straw and oak leaves are ideal.   This suppresses weeds, saves water, cools the roots in hot weather, and improves the soil.