Can you give us close-up photos of the areas? Could be cane borers, but can't tell from these photos. Also, what varieties, anything up with weather, etc. CSI-level info.

i am sad.

Diane and Nippstress, I do have cane borers and I have cut roses and discovered a hole in the stem that I cut. So they get in other ways than just a fresh cut, which I try to seal with Elmer's exterior wood glue and I have even tried a green adhesive acrylic paint from Michael's. Winter damage, not pruning far enough down the stem makes sense. But why are the new laterals dying? Borers? Don't remember which plant I cut the stems from in the above pictures. My leaves have been dropping, too. They look naked. Not all are due to BS and spider-mites. They grow back and then begin dropping, again. Could that be caused by winter damaged stems?

I find my HT roses grow better if I prune away those thin laterals. I don't care if my HTs get pruned down to a single cane--I just wait for mine grow new ones to replace what I've removed in the early Spring.

Zack, I think the thin laterals were new spring growth and some canes have gotten thinner, nobbier over the season.

I find also helps to cut canes to the same length during the early Spring pruning--the taller canes grow faster and the short ones get left behind--better to cut the short ones all the way back to the bud union.

Zack, thanks. I am guilty of the above.

The weather might be part of the problem. When the temps soared out of control here all my plants displayed unusual growing patterns, blooms and problems.

Do you have grasshoppers? This year pests have been a constant problem in my garden. Also, this years weather patterns are a breeding ground for disease. Do you have a spray program?

Carlotaroser, I have seen a few grasshoppers, but problem has been ongoing this season. I spray with fungicides and insecticides. We have had a wet season and the temps have been in the nineties some days. I was wondering if some of the leaf drop was slugs?

You may carefully inspect the dropped leaves for insect damage or disease.

This morning I cut and examined some canes on Joy and problem was cane borers. I glue and use insecticide, they still get in. Any suggestions?

I seal all of my cuts as well and they still get in. I seldom able to find any entry point. They pierce the cane somewhere and lay the larvae. But it's not where I cut and glued.

I agree with Cynthia. I'm still cutting off canes like that too. They were damaged some over winter but still looked green in the spring so I left them thinking they were OK. However, being already weakened, they've slowly died off.

Looks like a major problem of cane borers. The more I look, the more I find.

i am having to go way down the cane to remove all of the borers. Below is a picture of just removing a spent bloom.

Since the blue cups help with thrips, would white cups help with the sawflies?