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Disease resistant roses

I'm looking to grow a couple of disease resistant roses, could be patio roses/shrub roses and scented. I've done some research but would like to hear your opinions  which roses you have growing in your garden.

The roses I have now suffers from black spots and I'm spending so much time getting rid of the leaves, cutting back, applying fertilisers, watering... There must be an easier way of gardening.

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  • YviestevieYviestevie Posts: 7,066

    Hi Fluffy, Im growing Mayflower which is a pink David Austin rose and its supposed to be disease free there is also a white one from the same sport that is also disease free but I cant remember the name.  Check out the DA website, they always give a guide regarding disease resistance and so far what they have said has been true.  I pick my roses based on smell and resistance to disease and I really dont have any problems, just one spray early on in the season and feed them well and thats all.

    Hi from Kingswinford in the West Midlands
  • Dave MorganDave Morgan Posts: 3,123

    Fluffy I only grow english roses from David Austin they are without doubt resistant. Over the years I've tried many and like you got frustrated with black spot especially. After much experimentation, I have finally found a good way of keeping black spot under control, and I use it in other gardens for people who I garden for. I have found it works. 

    No matter what the rose, remove and burn the affected leaves, even if it means you have just bare stems and no blooms. Clear the ground around the rose, no detritus or dead leaves. Water well and feed. Then spray/soak with fungicide, rose clear is as good as any, and spray the ground around the rose as well. You can then mulch and make sure you have good air movement around the rose. I have never read or seen anyone recommend spraying the ground around the rose, but common sense dictated that the spores that cause black spot fall to the ground and rain falling makes them rise and re infect the rose. 

    It works for me and my customers, it may seem brutal to strip the rose bare, but they produce new growth within a few weeks, and it's usually healthy.

    If you get a further infection just follow the same process. I can honestly say, I haven't had a failure yet.

    There are so many beautiful roses, I wish I had room for more, confining yourself to one type is a matter of choice and one I made for more than one reason, but I'd hate to see anyone who can grow whatever is their choice.

  • Fluffy CloudFluffy Cloud Posts: 200

    Hello Yviestevie..tks for your prompt reply...all the roses I have are from David Austin. I have Gertrude Jekyll, Falstaff, Young Lucinda, Munstead Wood, William Shakespeare, Grace, Teasing Georgia...this is the worst!!, Wildeve.  I'm doing what Dave Morgan suggest but it's so time consuming!!

    Hello Dave Morgan..Thanks for your reply... I've been doing what you suggest. Last year was the worst. I did the stripping etc..the second flush was good. This year Teasing Georgia was still very bad!! and the rest followed. I may be missing something!!

  • SalinoSalino Posts: 1,609

    ..it's surprising that you are having so many problems with the Austin's as they are usually so resistant to black spot...although one of mine has a little this season, which is quite unusual... but not too much to worry about..

    ...Bonica is totally disease free, but it's not an Austin...I bet they wish it was..lol.

    ..as this problem seems to be recurrent in your garden, and most troublesome, I would suggest removing all your roses and growing other shrubs instead... harsh, costly and soul destroying, but sometimes we have to make these decisions... if they don't enhance your garden, then don't grow them  would be my attitude to this sort of thing... otherwise you can only resort to a frequent spray regime.... which really you shouldn't have to with these roses....   it's the sort of thing that American gardeners, in such differing climates, usually report...

    ..have a think and see what you want to do later on...

  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Posts: 8,328

    I have a rugosa rose hedge which is completely disease-free - flowers smell gorgeous too!

    Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
  • Fluffy CloudFluffy Cloud Posts: 200

    Thanks Salino. I have on several occasions have thought of doing what you suggest...but I haven't got the guts at the present!! The roses start the season very well...after the first flush of flowers have finished...the spots appear!! I have followed the suggestion Dave Morgan gave last year and again this year. So I wait!!!!!

  • AirwavesAirwaves Posts: 82

    A pair of David Austin I grow are 'Mary Rose' pink and a white sport of it is ;Winchester Cathedral;Both have a good perfume and seem trouble free

  • I have the same  problem,, got rid of 3 climbing roses, the rest are in pots and patio roses, you can keep you eye on these

    I do find constance vigilance works. find it,get rid,tidy up.cut back.

  • Airwaves...I havent got both of your roses. Am I tempted to get one...

    Claire..Im pleased Im not the only one suffering from rose problems!!All 8 roses now have new leaves growing. I was thinking of spraying them today but its started to rain!!

    It's the being vigilance that's can be difficult. I go away for 3 weeks, I leave the garden in good shape and come back to rose problems. Can be quite fustrating!!!

  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,491

    It seems a particularly bad year for blackspot, I've got a mixture of about 15 roses, many of them DA's and most have been affected. This year for the first time I started spraying with Roseclear early in the season every 2 weeks, but it's not always possible to keep strictly to this routine due to rain, being away etc. and I don't like using too much spray anyway. I do try picking up the dead leaves underneath - not always easy in the middle of a mixed border! and I mulched every rose this year with a thick layer of manure/compost thinking that would do the trick, but not, it seems. I have quite a windy garden in the south west here which you'd think would help.

    I've decided just to live with it, although I might try David's suggestions, the roses have been in for 7 years and none have died of it yet, they all flower very well - apart from my Margaret Merrill- which is supposed to be just 3ft tall, mine is reaching 6 ft, lanky with no flowers - don't know why.

    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
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