Any pictures or leaves, flowers and stalks? Pick a flower and slice it open. Do this on white paper. See anything?

Here are a few pics. Usually this time of year I have lots of buds/blossoms. I have no flowers to open, but have seen no evidence of bugs, although one old cane shows evidence of a borer (see last pic).

The damage to the cane above(hole in cane) was caused by a borer. When you see this you need to cut the cane off until you no longer see the hole. If you look inside there is a larvae. Cane borers will go all the way to the base and continue hollowing out the cane. Some put will- hold glue over open cuts to prevent this kind of thing, not sure if it works. You need to post this on the Roses site and I am sure you will get the help you need.

I've looked at the pictures and see some things you can change to improve the health of the rose bush, besides taking care of the borer damage. This rose is sitting in a rock mulch. Roses should be mulched with a forest-based product which neither reflects sunlight nor retains heat. Most of that damage is sunburn. I see another plant nearby. Roots from both the rose and that plant will compete for the same water and nutrients.

Did you fertilize your rose over the summer? Fertilizers should be applied full-strength only during the active fall and spring growing seasons. Using 1/2 or 1/4 strength in the summer is advisable.

Cut out the dead canes clean to the graft, no stumpy things or nubs. Some of those pruning cuts have aged out the cane. A rose will only grow three canes from the same spot before it kills off that bud eye. As always, there may be an exception to that rule but most of the time, you'll find a cane trying to grow out of 1/4 nub.

You can contact me if you have any questions. Jeannie Cochell, Master Consulting Rosarian, Phoenix Rose Society

Jeannie - thank you so much for your suggestions. I'll get right on it!