Miniature roses are dying because of pests.

cloud0115, Dec 31, 8:12pm
I have swapped the stones for bark, hopefully there should be improvement from now on. Thanks guys for your advice.
http://postimg.org/gallery/2fez2q22e/

kateley, Dec 31, 8:13pm
That looks great, cloud - I'm sure they will improve now.

charie4, Jan 2, 6:04am
Also cut them back to the first five leaf to produce better flowering after first blooms die off. This will also prolong flowering.

wheelz, Jan 2, 8:36am
Here's another tip. whitefly live on the undersides of leaves, so need to be attacked with spray from underneath, they also multiply exceedingly fast, and have 3 stages of development, which need to be treated. Mites also mainly live underneath leaves and will soon put in their appearance as the weather warms. I use an insecticide with mite killer, to deal with them.
Whitefly and mites thrive in poor air cirulation, heat and dryness and will very quickly make plants look sad. I have found Miniatures, being closer to the ground seem more susceptible to pests and disease and usually take a little more work.

cloud0115, Dec 30, 5:25am
Please have a look at the pictures, it is only a sample of the 9 miniature roses. http://postimg.org/gallery/1d4s89v2q/
I have sprayed with Conqueror oil twice in the past couple of days with no effect.
The first picture (IMG 5330) has been in this shape for 1 year now, rest of the pictures are roses I had planted 3 months ago and the new leaves are not growing.
Please help me save these 9 roses.

ira78, Dec 30, 8:20pm
I think Conquerer is just an oil, it doesn't contain any insecticides, it just smothers the bugs. Try Super Shield, that will actually kill them rather than just make the bugs all greasy.

wine-o-clock, Dec 31, 1:09am
Lots of whitefly, aphids and blackspot. Agree with #2. Water/spray only before 7am, never in the warm humid evenings. Remove the stones from around the base to allow u to fertilise the soil

lythande1, Dec 31, 1:28am
Not dead or dying. Affected sure, but hardly dying. it's pretty hard to kill a plant, never sprayed my roses in 37 years, they haven't died.

kateley, Dec 31, 1:47am
yep, looks like mostly aphids and whitefly, which do tend to attack weaker plants.
I would scoop off the stones, give them some rose food and a good watering, then some compost as a mulch. You can wash off the insects with soapy water, too as the plants are small.
If you put the stones back then be aware that they will increase the soil temperature as well as reflect the heat back at the plants, so you will need to water regularly. Put some liquid fert in the water every couple of weeks until they are healthy again.

cloud0115, Dec 31, 4:00am
1. I poured soapy water onto the roses this morning, it looks like the bugs are gone.
2. I moved the rocks away from the rose base, it's bare dirt for now.
3. Couple of days ago, I scooped up about 30mm of dirt around the rose base, spread about 5 handfuls (approx 150g) of fertilizer, then put the dirt back again. Is that too much?

kateley, Dec 31, 4:14am
I'd normally say one handful per square meter of garden - if you've given each miniature rose 5 handfuls then you have probably killed them

cloud0115, Dec 31, 7:37am
Now I have spent another 2 hours digging up the soil with the fertiliser, then replaced the soil with compost, finished off with some bark. Should I apply some water to it in the morning?

http://postimg.org/gallery/2vvx1rp4s/

kateley, Dec 31, 7:49am
well done, that looks great! Give them a thorough watering in the morning.

wine-o-clock, Dec 31, 8:00am
Also, I see they are not deadheaded/pruned near an outfacing bud, but left as stalks which possibly will die back

cloud0115, Dec 31, 8:09am
What do you mean wine-o-clock? Perhaps a picture?

issymae, Dec 31, 8:09am
keep the mulch away from stem

wine-o-clock, Mar 31, 6:55pm
http://www.wikihow.com/Deadhead-Roses

never use hedge clippers either!