Rose plants are not at their best after the long winter months and are very susceptible to rose diseases and fungus, once the spring season is back.

Even though, your rose bush may have lived through the winter without damage, the rains of spring and the heat and humidity of summer can bring an assortment of fungal infections.

Having your rose garden devastated by a rose disease or fungus is not going to make you a happy gardener. So here is a short list of the most common rose diseases that are high risk to your plants.

Powdery Mildew

This fungal disease creates a white powder along the tops and bottoms of the leaves and the length of the stems. Without treatment the plant will not grow to its full potential and the leaves will die and wither.

Rust

Rust appears like an orange powder which shows up on the underside of leaves and will extend to other parts of the plant.

Blackspot

Hybrid teas are blackspot resilient, but many other rose varieties are vulnerable. The disease shows up as circular black spots on the plant's leaves which vary in range from 1/16 to 1/2 inch in diameter. Left untreated, blackspot will destroy your plant's foliage.

Rose Mosaic

The Rose Mosaic is different from other rose diseases as this one comes from a virus. Symptoms usually look like a yellow and green discolored mosaic patterns.

The best treatment is to take out the infected plant from the garden. Important: it is imperative that you also remove all leaves and clippings which drop from the affected plant.

If you are unable to stop the spread of fungus-based diseases by simply removing the infected plants, see you garden supply professional and ask about commercial fungus treatment products.

You can reduce the chances of your roses being affected by fungus if you follow these tips:

Always water the soil around the rose plant and never water the plant itself.

Clean your rose beds frequently and take away all clippings and fallen leaves.

Cut off any diseased canes or blooms and immediately put them in your garbage can.

Carry out regular pruning and pay special attention to pruning out the center of the bushes to allow air to circulate.

Close up all cuts. Elmer's Glue works fine. It's safe, effective and inexpensive. Feed your roses regularly. Well-fed roses are more disease resilient.

Select disease-resistant roses whenever you can, particularly if you live in areas with high heat and humidity. Keep in mind that disease-resistant does not mean disease-free. It simply means that there is a less of a chance of your rose plants getting infected if you practice many of the tips you have read above.