Help! My roses are sick! What do I do?

[otherlander]

Last August, I bought two sick-looking rose plants from a clearance shelf at a grocery store, put them both into one large container, and got them healthy again. Then in the spring, I transplanted one into my front yard and left the other one in a container on my patio. Both got pink flowers this year.
Now the leaves on the container one are being covered with brown spots in these jackfrost sort of patterns and dying. The one in the front yard has a few of these spots, but not many, and is growing lots of healthy new leaves.
What can I do about this fungus-looking stuff that's making the one plant so sick? Both of them get plenty of sunlight and water, and I fertelize them with used coffee grinds from time to time.

[greatauntoftriplets]

1. Sounds like blackspot...

There's something that is supposed to work, though it never did for me. Ask at your garden center.

[Breeze54]

2. Get an anti fungus??

Have you checked to see what it is on a gardening website?

[Mrs.Matcom]

3. sounds like black spot...

do you live where it gets humid? Like Greataunt said, check with your local nursery or garden center. They can tell you what fungicide to use. I go through it ever year...all the leaves fall off, but I still get blossoms. Also use some Miracle grow for roses, shake and feed in the soil, works wonders! :hi:

[triguy46]

4. Well, what my father in law does is....

yell at his wife to go out and do something to the "f*in' roses." Will that help? Does for him.

[otherlander]

9. LOL... It might.

I'm afraid I don't have a wife though. :P

[barb162]

11. Oh, I know that routine. BIG HELP!

[sarge43]

5. Second on the blackspot.

How much air circulation is the sicko getting? Damp leaves tend to attract the fungus. If you've mulched it, change the mulch. The fungus spores develop in old mulch. Also try this: Three tablespoons of baking soda in a gallon of water and spray on the leaves. It can help retard fungus growth. Re fertilizer: The best for roses is rotted horse or cow manure; they are heavy feeders. Finally, the container may be too small for sicko's root system making it more vulnerable to other problems.

[Mrs.Matcom]

6. OH!!!

I like your idea of baking soda and water! I am going to have to try that here! Thanks for the info!

[sarge43]

8. Just don't spray anything on Rugosa leaves.

The indentations on the leaves will hold the liquid and 'burn' them. But then, rugies are seldom bothered by blackspot or much of anything for that matter.

[barb162]

13. Yeah, some roses, I swear nothing hurts them.

Canadian Explorers for starters.

[otherlander]

10. Ok, thanks.

I haven't mulched it, and it's a small plant, less than a foot tall. I'll try the baking soda tomorrow. :)

[barb162]

12. Yeah, I agree

and if that doesn't work, maybe she should go for bugger guns chemical control although I hate suggesting that. What I do now is get roses resistant to black spot.

[badgerpup]

7. What people said above...

plus...
Roses are heavy feeders...they like fish emulsion and blood meal and bone meal and a leetle bit of epsom salt as well as rose food.
I got some stuff called Roses Alive! from Gardens Alive! which makes organic gardening stuff...good company and my roses are always bright, healthy and productive. :)
http://www.gardensalive.com/Default.asp?bhcd2=1183167694

These guys make some good stuff for making your soil better, and they're green as well.
http://www.nitron.com/

I mix my own bugicide since I can't use a systemic...the petals get used in foodstuffs.
It's a Jerry Baker variation-

About 1 cup tobacco tea*
1/2 cup antiseptic mouthwash (use mint flavor if you have nematodes)
1/2 cup Ivory or Dove liquid soap (these only; no detergents!)

Put this in one of those spray thingies that you hook onto a hose, add water to fill it, and spray your plants on all surfaces till dripping.
This takes out hoppers, aphids, nematodes, icky green caterpillars and a lot of other bugs you don't want.
Keep critters away while spraying, and you might want to wear gloves and shower afterward, depending on how sensitve you are to it. The tobacco tea is the killing agent, and it's kind of irritating when it's on the skin for any length of time.

*I use Red Man chewing tobacco for the tea- just put it in a large glass bottle with hot water and let it steep for a couple days, then strain it.
DO NOT cap it too tightly though...the stuff ferments and may cause jar, jug,
or bottle to go BOOM.
I found this out at 11:59:59...opened the bottle and lots of pressure escaped.:scared:

Make sure you label it clearly too...this stuff is HIGHLY TOXIC. :puke:

[begin_within]

14. I would try GreenCure, or as a last resort, Ortho Funginex.

http://www.megagro.com/greencure.htm

I have never used GreenCure, but it looks promising from what I have read. I live in San Diego, where black spot is virtually unknown, but powdery mildew (the white powdery fungus on the leaves) is a big problem during the humid months (May through August). I have often resorted to using Funginex to control the powdery mildew, and it supposed to control black spot. But this new thing called GreenCure is supposed to be more environmentally friendly, and might be worth looking into, but I know nobody who has used it and have read no "third party" opinions on it yet.

[otherlander]

15. Thanks.

I'll keep those in mind if the baking soda idea doesn't help. Environmentally friendly is good. :hi:

[Nevernose]

16. Iron (like bonemeal) or an anti-aphid fertilizer/pesticide

It's been a fwe years since I grew roses, but Ortho used to make a good anti-aphid fertilizer/pesticide.