Oh how saddening it was to see that dreaded "witches broom" growth show up on my Roses, one by one. While this was going on, I couldn't bring myself to add new Roses to the garden. Instead I focused on other flowering plants to fill the void, and kept close watch on all the remaining Roses, disposing of any that showed symptoms. With each one, I first attempted saving the plant by cutting off the infected cane, but after symptoms showed elsewhere, they were dug. I only had success saving a plant once, 'Folksinger' had one infected cane in 2013 that I removed, and in 2014 showed no new symptoms, and performed better than it ever has.

I believe the culprit plants, invasive multifloras, have been located and removed. I don't believe natural resistance has much to do with the survival of those Roses that remain, because there are a couple of healthy 'Double Knockout" plants in the garden, and they're known to be prone to the disease.

We had a rough winter last year, that really did a number on all the Roses in this area. My giant 'Leontine Gervais' was killed back to the trunk (..and removing that mass of dead canes from the arbor was not fun, LOL). Even hardy shrub Roses in the area suffered a lot of winter kill. Although Roses throughout this area seemed to struggle to recover this year, it was a good growing season, with more summer rain than usual.

So now, I get to order some new Roses! Getting my Palatine order in first, as they do sell out of many selections quickly, and considering several from Chamblees. After a few years of not considering Roses, it seems the number of sources for grafted plants has dwindled. Where is everyone ordering bare root Roses from these days?


Some of the much appreciated survivors, Ballerina, Red Fairy, and The Fairy.

The survivors look great, Neal, and it sounds as though you took all the right steps to combat the rose rosette disease. I hope it's now a thing of the past in your garden.

As for grafted bare-root roses, it's true that the number of sources has dwindled. Palatine is the top pick for me, followed by Regan, Rosemania, and Garden Valley for a three-way tie in second place. S&W Greenhouse ranks slightly below those three. If I were desperate to get a rose and there were no other sources, I might give another chance to Edmunds' Roses and Hortico, but they've disappointed me so many times in the past that I'd have to be truly desperate.

Thanks, zuzu! I was unfamiliar with Regan, Rosemania, and Garden Valley, so I will certainly be taking a hard look at those sites. I'm looking for a few fragrant lavenders, at least one tall one, like a hybrid tea or grandiflora, and some shrubs or floribundas, and am thinking grafted plants would be best for those.

I did break my no new Rose vow a little prematurely, when I couldn't resist these that were just marked "Kordes Roses" from Home Depot for $6.88 each. I had read about many Kordes Roses that I have wanted for years, but these 2 noids are my first.

I have seen a couple of coral Kordes Roses on various sites that could match the one, but the pink is hard to tell, as it starts out deep pink, and matures to mauve. They were installed in mid summer, and both had nice repeat bloom. The foliage remained healthy without spraying.

What an amazing bargain! Kordes produces so many roses that you might never be able to identify them by cultivar name, but they look great and they're obviously happy in your garden.

I'm surprised that you're unfamiliar with Garden Valley Ranch. For some reason, I thought you had bought cut flowers from them in the past for arrangements.

Aside from those pictured above, the survivors are:
Eden
Red Cascade
Scarlet Meidiland
Julia Child
Livin' Easy (I suspect it is mislabled, more magenta than orange)
Folksinger
Molineux
Gruss an Aachen
Leontine Gervais
New Dawn
Double Knockout
Pink Knockout
Banshee
Cecile Brunner
Iceburg
Morden's Blush
and a couple of old Roses from abandoned sites.

Now that you mention it, I believe I did inquire about cut roses through Garden Valley a few years ago. Local wholesalers started carrying garden Roses soon after, and has been my source since.

Apparently, this area is bad for RR virus. I've been noticing commercial plantings of Knockouts that are plagued with it. I'm really tired of seeing Knockout everywhere as they've become the Stella D'oro of the Rose world to my eyes, but didn't want to see them go out like that! LOL

Neal, you can't go wrong with Palatine.
This year, I only had 1 rose with RRD, and it is one that had it in past years. I thought I had the whole rose dug out, but evidently there were some roots waiting to grow. The way you handled the infestation is the way the public gardens are approaching it as they try to save their gardens. I was touring a large botanical garden this summer and complimented a director on all their newer selections. I was tired of seeing the same old AARS roses from the 60s, and nothing new, so i thought it was a good thing. The director told me the only reason they had the new roses was RRD killed off the majority of the earlier ones. Now that more people can recognize the early symptoms of RRD, we have a chance of saving more roses.

I'm looking forward to seeing how the multiflora rootstock performs in my garden. Multifloras certainly do grow well here, and they develop large root systems, larger than Dr. Huey plants that I have dug. Hoping it results in more vigorous plants!

Had to discard my beloved Julia Child this year. Never even heard of the virus before.

Debra, was your Julia Child grafted or own root? I have an own root plant that I found at a local grocery (grown by a local greenhouse). It was a healthy plant, in a 2 gallon pot. She's still about the same size over a year later, but looks healthy otherwise. I'm wondering if a grafted plant would fare better. As for other yellow floribunda options, I'm excited to see what Golden Fairytale does- the pics on line are wonderful, and I saw good reports on it's growth. It has that old rose form similar to J.C.

Also looking at Solero Vigorosa, which looks nice, but is rather short (1.5-2'). Was looking into Freisia, thinking it was new to me, but saw in our database it is Sunsprite, that I've known about for a long time, but haven't tried.

Don't know for sure, Neal. Had it since 2008(?) and don't remember the vendor.

As far as RRD goes, research so far has not shown any difference in own root versus grafted plants. There are a few species that have shown resistance, though. I will try to remember those or look that up from my notes and get back here with that info. I think setigera? is one...if a plant has any of that in the parentage, it may be more resistant to RRD.

Cindi, I don't think grafted or own root makes any difference where RRD is concerned. I was curious because my own root Julia Child has been just sitting there for over a year, a few blooms, but no bigger than when I planted it. I was wondering if it just doesn't perform on its own roots.

The dreaded RRD showed up in my garden last year, on HT Welcome Home I cut it back, hoping that it wasn't RRD, but the new branches grew back red with tons of thorns, and deformed blooms, the plant was removed.

This year, my HT Barbara Streisand from Regan's developed RRD, it was promptly removed. I haven't seen any evidence of it in any of my other plants, but if they get it, they'll also be removed immediately.

Barbara Streisand is a lovely lavender, with an amazing scent. I may replace it.

Can other roses be planted in the same area where a rose with RRD was removed, or is the soil in that area contaminated?

gemini_sage said:...Was looking into Freisia, thinking it was new to me, but saw in our database it is Sunsprite, that I've known about for a long time, but haven't tried.

I've had three of these here for years now, Neal, and so far none have showed RRD symptoms. They do experience heavy die-back each winter, but return much quicker than some of my other shrub roses, and flower heavily. They also have the best scent of any rose I have, and I lean heavily toward scented roses when choosing new plants.

Annette, have you seen any infected plants near your property or in neighboring yards? There's probably a "Typhoid Mary" lurking about nearby. A hiding culprit in my yard was growing up the middle of a large blue spruce. One day I just happened to see something growing out of the upper part of the tree, and it was a huge, heavily diseased multiflora. There were also some in farm fence rows near the drive way.

Chelle, are your Freisia plants grafted or own root? Have they been blackspot resistant as well? I've been choosing mostly fragrant varieties as well, nothing makes me happier than burying my face in a big, fragrant rose! And when I smell roses while just walking around the yard, I'm in Heaven!

Walking close to my Heritage today and caught this wonderful fragrance. The blooms look horrible from our morning freezes, but the scent? Ahhh, the scent...

gemini_sage said:

Chelle, are your Freisia plants grafted or own root? Have they been blackspot resistant as well?

Two are grafted; one that's still small after 3 years or so, is own-root. All three do get blackspot, but it doesn't seem to slow them down.

LOL Neal, I may have to find the "Typhoid Mary" in my neighborhood.

I have one neighbor across the street with Knockouts, and my neighbor next door put in a bunch of roses, over 20, that he bought from Lowes in the past year on sale. He planted them in red clay soil with no amendments or fertilizer, so I'll have to see if his plants are diseased. Of course, his plants aren't doing well.

I have a few Knockouts that look fine, and my other roses are fine as well, with no signs of RRD.

Thanks Chelle, that's just the info I wanted, and helpful you have both growing. I have 4 own root Morden's Blush plants that are in 3 different parts of the garden, and have been there for 5 years. They are all only slightly larger than when they were planted. I think a lot of modern hybrids are unable to grow a strong enough root system to develop into a sizable plant.

Annette, now that you have seen the disease, you'll spot it if it shows up nearby. Hopefully if you find any diseased plants in neighbors yards, they will respond accordingly. There is a planting on Main Street here in town of double Knockouts that have RRV, and a strip mall here in town with an entire hedge of diseased plants- I'd be in fits if I lived near something like that!