How do i keep my roses healthy ?

As I expect you know black spot is a fungal infection. All leaves should be removed and burnt or disposed of, not composted, including the leaf drop in the autumn. I don't know what you've been spraying with, but if you haven't tried it, get some Roseclear 3 - read the directions properly (I think it says to double dose for currently infected plants). You will need a sprayer of your own, and spray to run off, underside and topside of the leaves. It will be next to impossible to eradicate it this year, but, once you've pruned it a bit, next year, start spraying early with a normal mix of Roseclear, regardless whether you can see the black spot or not. If it occurs, immediately double dose, remove infected leaves. It means keeping a very close eye on the plant next year, and spraying every 2 weeks (I think, can't remember, it says on the bottle). Also, feed the rose with a specialist rose food, not just growmore.

Hi:

I had a lot of trouble with my roses this year (Knockouts) and I tried two things that were quite successful: banana peels cut into long ribbon-like strands and draped over the branches immediately chased away all of the aphids(!!!) and making a batch of powdered milk and spraying up each bush - under the leaves, too, helped with the fungus I was getting. I had a powdery fungus (white) and also black spots all over the stems. I did have to cut them almost all the way to the ground and clean up all debris but they have come back and are looking good!

I just buried some banana peels around them, as I heard this will also do wonders for them.

Next year, I will plant chives around them and possibly garlic, as was kindly suggested by another reader here!

Best of luck, Lisann

Black spot and mildew are very difficult to avoid, the mildew particularly likes the atmosphere by a wall. Don't replant with another rose unless you can change a lot of the soil or you'll get rose replant problems.