I bought two rooted cuttings of New Dawn on eBay and moved them to bigger pots to wait for a trellis to be built. Now the newest little leaves seem to have a whitish coating--on both. Is that a fungus and what can I do about it? Maybe before installing the plants on the trellis site, I should pitch them and try to buy a better one next spring? We are seniors and I won't be able to care for a huge infected plant.

Getting a new plant from a reputable dealer seems really hard to do. All advice welcome!

Thanks,
Pat

It sounds like powdery mildew but without a picture we can't be sure of anything.

Tiny baby plants will always be more susceptible to diseases. They have not developed any kind of immune system yet. As the plant matures it should become cleaner and healthier. Small rooted cuttings (called bands) can take 5 years to reach maturity. New Dawn is a very vigorous grower though so it should get stronger quicker. Perhaps 3 years. In any case you can use a fungicide on them for now to keep them clean.

In GA I would say go ahead and plant them as soon as possible so they can get acclimated to where they will be growing. It will probably take at least a year or two for them to get big enough for a trellis. Most climbers take at least 3 years to even begin to climb but, like I said, New Dawn is a fast grower.

There are several online nurseries where you can purchase good quality plants and the service is very good. While there are some good dealers on eBay it would NEVER be my first choice to buy new roses.

Is powdery mildew a common problem in your area?

I ask, because here in SoCal, one of the main reasons you don't ever see 'New Dawn' is that it mildews here like crazy. And NO ONE wants a huge climber covered with mildew.