Rose Bushes – What To Spray To Kill Weeds Around Them?

Q: What can I spray to kill weeds in and around my rose bushes without hurting them?

A: At a big box store I recently saw a sprayer that had a conical shield attached to the spray wand. The label indicated it was for use near ornamental plants. You can make a homemade shield by cutting the neck of a four-inch plastic funnel so that it fits over the nozzle of your own garden sprayer. Use tape to hold it in place. Or you can cut the bottom off of a gallon milk jug, put the jug over a weed and give it a squirt through the jug neck. With this protection, I’d feel comfortable spraying glyphosate (Roundup, etc) as close as twelve inches from your rose stems. You could also use a large piece of cardboard to shield plants when you spray.