Time to plant your new roses. You can start as early as January but your last planting date should be Valentines Day. This will give your roses time to root in their new home before the summer temperatures arrive.  For a standard size rose one that will grow 4-5 feet round,  dig the hole 2ft by 2ft.  Once the hole is dug fill it with water to make sure you have adequate drainage in your soil.  Back fill the hole with one half of a good potting soil and one half of your native soil.  The native soil will help your rose take root and grow straight. Create a well around your rose or entire rose bed with soil, bricks or some type of curbing to hold the water and allow your roses to get a good soaking.  Caution do not over water as this will cause the roots to rot.  Put your finger in the soil up to the second knuckle if the soil is dry your rose needs water. This will help you establish times to water if you set up an automatic watering system. Cover your rose hole or bed with 4-5 inches of mulch this will cut down on weeds and shade your rose.

This is also the time to prune your existing roses and while they will look like they were given a very short haircut this will produce a much heather plant. Using a pair of sharp bypass pruners remove any dead or damaged canes, canes crossing over other canes or canes that have multiple canes growing out of the end of the main  cane. Trim the canes down by 1/3 to ½ of the size of the plant. Remove all leaves and clean up any debris embedded in the rose or on the ground

Powdery mildew can form on leaves if the air is cooler and moist.  Different types of bugs also like to take up house keeping on your rose.  A hard stream of water washing the tops and undersides of your rose canes and leaves will discourage the critters and dislodge the mildew. Check every 3 days to make sure the critters have not moved back in like bad renters.