As you suggest by "beginner's product," these combo pesticide products are marketed to novice gardeners who don't understand how to diagnose and treat specific problems. The result is that you are always applying more chemicals than needed, with unnecessary hazard to yourself and the environment. So a good basic rule is, don't buy combo products. Bonide Rose Shield contains pesticides that are new on the market and unfamiliar to me. However, the systemic insecticide is a neonicotinoid like Merit, and Merit is known to cause spider mite outbreaks.

You should bring your symptoms to the board for diagnosis. Often people will tell you no action is required. Usually insect problems are transitory, and most of us use synthetic insecticides rarely or never--much less two at once. In the East, most rose varieties can benefit from preventative spraying of a fungicide to control blackspot disease. Some varieties are resistant. Powdery mildew is rarely a serious problem, but Green Cure is a safe, usually effective treatment should it appear.

That warning list is terrifying!!! I don't understand why this stuff is still on the shelves.

I agree with enchanted from MA. This is a good post for all rose enthusiasts in the Northeast.

It is good instinct to spray as needed for the pm outbreak.

The warning list for the fungicide is

Poison to aquatic life.

It is an endocrine disrupter in humans. Endocrine glands regulate metabolism and growth.

The fungicides in bonide and Bayer are both from China. Yes they are banned in NY and E U for residential uses.

Preventative spraying of fungicides for roses is not recommended by Cornell University. It is more important to select roses for disease resistance. Morning sun is most important and as long as the biology is right in the soil with good compost , focus on a healthy rhizosphere and there aren't too much chemical fertilizers buildup.

Also, There was a study done at Ohio State University on the use of wood mulch with roses.

For the insects year round suet attracts birds and a bird bath attracts birds.

Thanks to all for your feedback. Of course I followed the instructions which say not to spray when there are flowers present or about to open.

I do worry about insect damage in the future. While I can ignore the occasional holes, and right now they're doing really well, earlier in the spring the knockout went from leafing out to devastated within a few days, but I couldn't see any insects on either top or bottom of leaves.

Come to think of it, the only time I've ever seen an ordinary slug was while planting petunias. My hostas get eaten a lot, but always pop back stronger and bigger, so I can ignore the slug damage there. But when an entire rose bush gets turned into a salad bar in May, it's a different story.

The May attack was probably rose slugs (little green worms, not slugs). When you looked for them, they might already have been wiped out by beneficial insects. If they are present, you can see them on the underside of leaves.

Next spring, watch for the first appearance of RS damage and wipe them off the underside, or if that's not practical, spray insecticidal soap with total coverage of the undersides. Or like me, you can just wait for the wasps to eat them.

I don't like combos for a myriad of reasons. Besides all the ones above they're not particularly efficient. Unless you have black spot, PM and many different kinds of bugs all attacking your roses all at once why use a spray for all those things? Each problem has an active ingredient that works on that pest or disease. You need to ID the problem correctly and use lthe proper product for that problem. Not just spray all kinds of things hoping you'll hit the right one. Learn to read the symptoms properly and ID the problem and then use the proper solution.

Or just learn to live with a few holey or spotted leaves and let Mother Nature run her course. She's actually quite smart about these things. Most insects have a season and some kind of predator. Most fungal diseases are weather sensitive and will come and go by your weather from season to season. And roses are tough guys. There are very few of these problems that will actually kill a rose outright. Slow it down or weaken it some but not kill it. If you're not sure what you have going on you can ALWAYS post pictures here and we will be very happy to help you figure it out.

I am so glad I read this article before ordering the rose shield product. I had no idea that it was so bad for the good insects and nature. I live in southeast Texas and have a great deal of problems with my roses. I talked to landscaper/nursery owner and from what he said I'm changing to tropical and southwestern plants. It's just not the right climate for roses.

Linda, wait no, don't be hasty. There are wonderful no spray roses that will grow in your area. I'm assuming your climate is a lot like mine, hot and humid. If this is true, you should give Mrs. B.R. Cant a try, if she doesn't grow well for you, bloom well for you, and have foliage that is clean of disease, then maybe you should not grow roses. If Mrs. Cant does well then I can easily name another dozen or so that you will not have trouble with.

I have many David Austins i have tried neem oil , bio advanced drench ,the last few years japanese beetles have invaded my rose garden and i am tryring my hardest what to use , i was thinking of the Rose shield im at my wits end i dont think i seen a dozen roses out of the whole garden all sumer ,