Rust on rose bushes

9 years ago

Hi, about 2-3 years ago, a couple of my older (Lincoln roses) I believe started getting rust. Never had that before, powdery mildew at times & black spot--yes; but never rust. I was careful to pick the leaves off--but that year the rust spread to a couple of David Austin bushes (Heritage & Bianca). Now, these bushes thrived & were the healthiest bushes I had for at least 5 years. The rust has attacked almost every bush I have (12 bushes in a row), but in varying degrees. I ended up ripping out the two David Austins and one of the Lincolns when I realized they were half dead due to the rust. The following Spring, I raked all the old topsoil and mulch off. Added new soil & mulch. I've not seen hardly any rust despite all the rain we have gotten in the Spring & into Summer already. I want to dig out the one Lincoln bush I have that was one of the rust buckets. It got a few blooms this season, but the roses looked wild & small. No new buds. This happened last season too. I want to replace the bush, but I'm nervous about planting another healthy bush there (even if I rake the top soil off & mulch & add new). I'm afraid I'm just asking for disaster planting a new bush in a spot where a "rust bucket" was. What say ye? Also any ideas for a red hybrid?

Featured Answer

jacqueline9CA

9 years ago

I live in Calif., and in the Fall some of my mid 20th century HTs get rust. NONE of my OGRs get rust, or my modern ground cover roses, or any of the other 100+ roses in my garden, just the HTs. I only have 4 HTs, and not planning on getting any more!

Here's what I do when I see ANY sign of rust:

Get a paper bag (I use the big brown grocery store ones). Get your clippers. and hold the bag underneath an affected leaf so it will fall directly into the bag. Clip (do not pull or "pick") each affected leaf gently off, and let it fall into the bag. This is because those orange spots are zillions of spores, and if they are even moved or jostled a tiny bit (like by pulling or picking), spores float off into your garden, on to other roses. (You may have been the vector which spread the rust around). After you have done this with EVERY leaf with those orange spots on the back of them, close the bag gently and put it into the garbage. Wash your hands. Dip your clippers in a bleach solution, and then clean with WD40.

2) Spray the roses with Bayer Advanced Disease Control (NOT any of the Bayer products which contain pesticides), making sure to get the underside and top of the leaves.

3) Peer at those roses periodically to see if they have more rust - check the undersides of the leaves, which is where it shows up.

4) REPEAT.

This method works for me, and one or two times is usually all it needs to get rid of the rust until the following Fall (sometimes it shows up in the Spring too).

Good luck -

Jackie

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Comments (6)

nickjoseph Milwaukee, WI
Original Author
9 years ago
Please someone? Thanks!
zack_lau z6 CT ARS Consulting Rosarian
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/64782/

This page says Olympiad is resistant to rust. Given that the 1984 Olympics were held in Los Angeles, I'd expect it to be a good rose for the West coast , where rust is often an issue.

http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1983/06/04/page/77/article/olympiad-leads-1984-all-america-rose-selections

You really want to consult someone on the West coast who lives in a rust prone area who grows hybrid teas. Jeri Jennings used to post a lot here, but her interest was old garden roses.
nickjoseph Milwaukee, WI thanked zack_lau z6 CT ARS Consulting Rosarian
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nickjoseph Milwaukee, WI
Original Author
9 years ago
I was just concerned about replanting in the same spot as a bush that was a rust magnet--even despite raking the topsoil & mulch off & putting new. I have two spots for a bush, one is a little shadier & not as noticeable. That's why this spot would be preferable--yet I don't want to spend the money on planting it there to find out, the rust will contaminate it there no matter what I do...
Va Joh(zone8b)
9 years ago
I have rust on my Joseph's Coat roses and I have to spray Bayer advanced, the one without insect control included. It prevents it from spreading but that's the only way I have been able to deal with it. This is also the first year I have seen it in my garden. I'm assuming due to all the rain this year. I really want to replace the roses with more shade tolerant roses but my husband is saying no because they are big and beautiful and have finally covered the trellises to give us some privacy. I planted them before knowing much of anything about roses. They get only 4 hours of sun. I may just do it anyway because I absolutely do not want the rust spreading throughout my garden. Also hate to have to spray, but it is inevitably so here in Oregon. Here's a pic of them in bloom.

This is the view behind the trellises.

Here is the front.

They are so pretty but leggy because of the shade.
nickjoseph Milwaukee, WI thanked Va Joh(zone8b)
nickjoseph Milwaukee, WI
Original Author
9 years ago
Very pretty. I'm hoping that I won't have the problem with my one red bush (that was there when we moved in almost 25 years ago) & my Dick Clark. I planted the Dick Clark next to this bush & there is another bush almost touching it on the other side. We had a particularly bad year with rust a couple years ago & ended up getting a teeny bit of rust on almost all my 12 bushes. Like I said, the worst magnets had to go. The ones that got a teeny bit of rust that year don't seem to be adversely affected by that & are doing fine thus far. If I would have understood how wide the Dick Clark would get I would have planted it in the space that has more room around it. Now some of its branches are touch both bushes are each side of it. It is a gorgeous rose bush though. It constantly blooms & the blooms stay looking nice for a long time before I feel I have to deadhead them. I may (don't want to) have to trim some of the wider branches down though so they aren't touching the other two bushes.