A rose is a flower that can prove aesthetically pleasing to gardeners of any kind, but they can sometimes be hard to keep healthy.

With that in mind, Guthrie County Extension offers tips for keeping your rose bushes looking their best. If you notice there are little round holes in the foliage of your roses, they are most likely caused by leafcutting bees. However, you should not be alarmed by these, as leafcutting bees are pollinators. The damage they cause is usually minor, and control efforts are generally unnecessary.

What you should look out for is small green worms called “roseslugs” eating the foliage. If you see them, pick them off by hand and destroy them. If you find you have a large infestation, it can be controlled by mild insecticides, such as insecticidal soap. Another common issue roses face is a fungal disease called “black spot.” It looks just like it sounds and develops in warm, wet weather. Black spot can be controlled with careful rose selection, cultural practices, and fungicide treatments. You can also reduce the amount of overwintering fungi by carefully cleaning up leaves in the fall.