This was one of the strangest springs I can ever remember.

We had rust here and there, but the big shocker was blackspot -- something we normally see only rarely, and in a limited fashion.
I think the weather was the problem.

As to "doing" anything to stop it . . . TRUTHFULLY . . . Unless you're going to launch out into a full-fledged spray program there isn't much.

You could (and should) remove foliage as the rust shows up on it. But in the end, you may just have to wait until the weather changes to something resembling normal.

Jeri

Thanks Jeri. I guess I accidentally did the right thing. I didn't spray except on Valentine when everyone elses rust cleared up and it's didn't. I took off the leaves, sprayed the canes and said a prayer.

Poor thing. It looks motheaten and it's in a prime location! It's really too bad because it had three large basal breaks at the beginning of Spring and it was off to such a strong start! Last year it was a bulletproof winner -- blooming it's head off despite the heat.

Oh well. Mother Nature plays her tricks. The roses took a hit but the shade garden drank it all up and looked fabulous.

Hi, Debbie -
We had a lot of problems with rust in the cemetery this spring, too. What we've had success with is cutting the rose back, removing any remaining rusty leaves, fertilizing, and making sure that they have enough water. As you know, we don't prune hard at any time, but we cut out canes that were diseased and cleared out some twiggy stuff. We have photos of Dr. Kelly (Paul Neyron) getting the treatment, and how it's recovered, on our website. We sprayed the rose with water when we were done, and then misted it with the Physan solution we use to clean our pruners (don't know that really made a difference but worth a shot).
Anita

Here is a link that might be useful: Treating the Doctor

It certainly has been a strange spring. My Abraham Darby had mildew, rust and blackspot! I had no blackspot before this spring and very little rust. The mildew this spring has been unbelievable also but most plants have gotten over it. If a rose doesn't recover it may be time to replace it with another specimen. I also have Carding Mill but it had no rust at all. However, we moved it to what we fondly call the cutting garden (all of three plants) and the rabbits ate all the leaves off the roses as high as they could reach. If it's not one thing it's another....

Ingrid

Yes, rust weakens plants. And there is not realistic cure but one: the shovel. Life is too short to grow rusty roses when there are so many others that are clean.

Thanks for all the comments and advice. The link was great -- that's just what they looked like.

If the rust reoccurs in normal years then I will remove them. They were two of the very best roses in the garden last year -- 100% clean and unfazed by the heat. I'll give them another year or two before I decide if they normally rust or if it's just the product of a very strange year. If the rust is the norm for them, then they'll have to go.

In my garden many roses rust in a bad year, or perhaps just in the fall. It is roses that rust every year, much of the time, that I discard. I require resistance, but not immunity.

It is roses that rust every year, much of the time, that I discard.

*** That's exactly how I feel.
If a rose rusts a little, for instance, very late in the year, on senile foliage -- I help the plant get rid of those leaves, and go on.
But a rose that rusts most of the time, and particularly if it rusts on new leaves? No way. Once it's proven that this is what it's gonna do -- bring on Madame le Shovel.

Jeri

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Love it!