That's why I don't spray anything and I make or find generic products to use instead of expensive name brands.

I am learning Karl.

I'm not going to grow a lot of roses, so, I'm trying my best to plant the most disease resistant ones for my area.
Trail & error. Last year I felt like you do now, this year I feel much more relaxed.
I do use the $10 soap which has been very effective here on rose slugs. Our bands would have no leaves if I didn't. lol
I hope you find your inner garden peace zyperiris!

zipperiris, it isn't easy to come to a decision to put down the chemicals, I'm sure, but I think if you stick with it, in the end, you will be happy you did. I haven't used chemicals in 30 years. I avoided roses for a long time because I expected I would not be able to keep them looking good without using something. I broke down and tried roses about 4 years ago and so far it is touch and go.

I'm having more trouble this year then previously with two in my front garden. But part of the problem is I just didn't get to them soon enough to pay attention and take care of problems before they got worse.

I planted four new roses, bare root this spring and so far they are doing pretty well. The one that is doing the best is an OLD rose. Mme. Plantier. It has barely a spot of insect damage and the foliage looks so healthy. The first bloom just opened and it is very sweet. Julia Child is also doing well after an initial attack by some kind of rose slug or caterpillar. Once someone identified what it was for me, it was very easy to pick off the little caterpillars, once I could 'see' them. [g] Once I hand picked them, and pulled off the damaged foliage that was mostly at the base, the plant looks great and has started blooming well.

The other new rose was 'New Dawn' which has healthy foliage and a few flower buds on it. There were also a few caterpillars on that rose, but just a very few at the base which I removed and now that rose is looking well too.

Believe it or not the rose that looks awful is the Knock Out Rose. [g] I find that comical. It had some kind of caterpillar/slug damage too and I just haven't gotten around to picking them off yet, so it has more damage then the others.

I would mix up the Cornell Formula at home if you want to try something to spray. See link below. You can also do a search on the Rose Forum for Cornell formula for other discussions.

There is a great article in the current issue of Mother Earth News on 'pest proofing' your garden. Some of what the author has to say is about how your garden has to come to a 'balance' of good bugs to bad bugs. That takes time to allow that to happen. He makes suggestions for ways you can help increase the good bugs. You might be able to find the article on their website. If you are using chemicals you are killing the good bugs as well as the bad bugs. So you end up with less natural controls of the bad bugs. So once you stop using chemicals, the bad bugs increase in the short term. You have to be willing to wait it out.

Aphids are one case in point. I never used to see lady bugs in my garden, but last year I had a large infestation of aphids which I never have either and I was so surprised that before I knew it, lady bugs were out there on the rose bushes and in another week I could hardly find an aphid. I don't think that would have happened if I were using chemicals.

Plus, the bees, ladybugs, butterflies and birds are much more at home in my garden then they would be in someone's garden who uses chemicals.

Here is a link that might be useful: Will Cornell spray help.....

Prairie, I really haven't used chemicals. I used nothing last year because I couldn't figure out what was okay. In some other threads I mentioned that I am going to shovel my Intrigue Rose, and my Europeana..as I am sick of them being so BS'ed. However, I have been reading that some things are okay to use. Last year and this year I did pick off the Rose slugs. I am still doing that as my infestation has just started. Where I am at is with my reading I am finally seeing how products are being sold and the public is being duped. I did get a email from a woman who swears by Safer insectial soap..she says the ingredients are perfect for roses..wheareas my own mix I could use to much soap or whatever.

You have to make your own decisions about what you are willing to do. For my roses I decided that I'd rather spray an effective chemical fungicide every three weeks rather than something organic that wouldn't work as well and has more side effects every week. I decided that I wouldn't spray insecticides and I've got plenty of holes in my leaves but my roses are fine.

Before next year I have to make a decision on my fruit trees. This is a hard one since I eat the fruit and really don't want a bunch of chemicals in my fruit. Whatever I decide I'll still be minimizing my use of chemicals and doing my best to use the safest and most effective methods that I can.