You could keep two or three good sized backup plants growing elsewhere and ready to plug in, if garden center plants don't suit your needs. In a situation like this, I would yank an infected plant immediately and not mess around with removing canes. RRD does spread readily by close proximity, as I learned to my cost this summer.

Whatever you do, please do not use Round-Up on remaining root fragaments as the Round-Up can pass through the tips of the roots into the ground and then be taken up by the roots of nearby roses and the damage can then be mistaken as spread of RRV (RRD).

Here is a link that might be useful: my RRV web page

The one rose species that seems to resist infection by the mites is R. bracteata. It's a beautiful rose, BS resistant leaves with repeat blooming single white flowers. And thorns, vicious thorns.

In my part of the world, it grows well but not invasively. In your part of the world it is more vigorous.

If I had your problem, I'd use bracteata and interplant it with red chinas (and if I got seedlings with bracteata characteristics and a vibrant pink bloom, it would be langniappe).

No one will forget their first encounter with bracteata thorns.

Is RRD a really big problem in your area that you're already anticipating getting it in your rose hedge before you've even planted it? Just curious. I know there are some places where it's a very big problem but I don't know the exact locations. I know we do have it in Michigan but I haven't seen it wide spread around here. And I haven't heard of any of the people in my rose societies having it yet. It will come eventually though I'm sure. I'm truly hoping chilian thrips hate the cold! Sigh, just one more nasty thing to worry about...

I will look into bracteata, but also think about a mixed planting with nonrose plants in addition to roses.
Seil, planning is everything. Since it is not going to be only a decorative planting but a working hedge, it makes sense to anticipate ahead of time any problems that might arise, and RRD is definitely in Texas.

Bracteata is way too large, (but awesome, reminds me of the Mermaid I once had at the previous house) but the more I consider it, the more I like the idea of mixed perennials and roses, and I also like the idea of having a few extra roses growing elsewhere to replace a gap left by a possible future removal of an RRD infected rose.

That raises the question -- how big DO you want it to be?

I mean, we have a short hedge of 'Prospero,' which EYE sure wouldn't walk through (VERY thorny), and which is about 3 ft. tall.

We have a slightly longer hedge of 'Golden Celebration' which is closing on 5 ft. tall.

We have a short hedge of Grandmother's Hat -- about 5 ft. tall, but it will get taller.

I could see making a hedge of 'Mme. Berkeley,' which as a Tea may be very good for you in the Houston area?

It's quite prickly. Our one plant is a good 6 ft. tall and equally wide. (HMF says: Height of 35" to 4' Width of 2'. I believed that. MOre fool me.)

Mme. Berkeley would have the advantage of blooming almost continuously. We never deadhead her, and we don't bother to prune her -- but I suppose you COULD prune her.

Jeri

The hedge need only be around 3 feet tall, just tall enough to keep the kids from stepping over it. It isn't that they want to go onto my property, it is just that I'm on a corner and cut across. They would be welcome to do that, too, but they drop their wrappers and trash, I don't know who they think will pick it up, but it is me.
I actually had a garden planted last year, long and around 3 feet wide, and had to tear it out last month when the city put a sidewalk right where the garden was, which was on the right of way.
This time, it will be a little narrower but a little taller, and not on the right of way.

OK. That makes a difference.

If you were living down the road from me, I'd suggest that you plant Prospero.

Since you're NOT -- I think I would suggest Kim Rupert's 'Lynnie.' It has SOME prickles, tho it's not very prickly. It has a lovely upright habit, a lot of vigor, and beautiful foliage. I know it is resistant to mildew and rust, but others would have to speak to blackspot resistance. I think it would make a magnificent low hedge, and I would plant the roses very close together. It should be lovely, and colorful.

Jeri

I did not see your last post Jeri, Prospero would be good. But I found someone with some starts of Louis Philippe, will make a larger hedge but still colorful, and will do the job.

Here is the game plan: I'm thinking that these roses are going to be rooted cuttings so I will have some time before I have to worry about the branches physically touching one another. But I'm going to make it a sort of mixed hedge, 2 roses, then something else, and so on, so every few roses there will be another plant to help separate the groups of roses when they get larger. That way, if I have to pull out one or two, the gap is not so noticeable. And I will put one or two elsewhere as fill ins if the need arises.

I think I will buy a nice bottle of wine and put it back, and have a RRD going away party when and if a cure or solution is found.
Lasagna, French bread. All y'all in the neighboring area are hereby invited.

Lucille -- I don't think you could do better.

I LOVE Louis Phillipe, and it will give you color ALL the time.

Jeri

Why are you worried about the branches touching???

Jeri

Jeri, I had seen this advice in an article by Jim Jacobi:

Rose Rosette Disease Control Options
� No cure for roses with rose rosette
� Symptomatic plants must be dug and removed, including roots
� Remove nearby multiflora rose, if practical
� Space plants so that canes and leaves do not touch each other

Do we have RRD in our area?

Brittie, I don't know. But with reports saying RRD is becoming more prevalent, and recommendations available, it seems prudent to be proactive especially when the caution merely amounts to a bit more spacing and arranging for groups of roses to be separated by perennials while putting in a new bed, and observation. It is easier to arrange spacing when the plants are ten inch cuttings as opposed to when they get to be five foot shrubs.