Where there is green, there is life.
I think if you were to cut back the "dead" wood, (old brown/gray and or black in color),
leave the new green growth, water, water, water and feed (I really like fish emulsion, for my roses that is :)
your rose should bounce back.
Roses are pretty tough.
Hope that helps.
Lioness

I suspect it defoliated from blackspot disease. My Sunsprites were immune to blackspot for years until a new strain got established, and they started defoliating. If this is the case, the rose will need to be sprayed every two weeks with a fungicide, so you need to decide whether you're willing to do that. Watch for dark spots with fringy edges, yellowing background.

You should remove all the grass from a 30" circle, fertilize, and apply a 2" layer of bark chips or other mulch. Water every 3 days if it doesn't rain.

Pruning is not the critical issue. Cut out all the dead wood. Since the plant is leafless and debilitated, I would leave most of the healthy wood for the time being.

Thank you!

I will pull grass and I have some mulch in the garage.
I am still a bit confused about the old wood.. if I cut it back much it will be down to all old wood.. is that what I should do? there will not be much green left. Most of the green is on the ends.

Michaelg,
Black spot ha?
Going to take a better look.

I am glad you have one of these beauties. I am so heartbroken, I was so in love with this rosebush. It was almost magical to me.

I am willing to do whatever it takes with the fungicide.
It is raining every day here right now (Orlando), I bet that would contribute to the black spot.

Can I cut it back by half or so? Do leaves grow back where they have fallen off or will it always look like this if I don't cut it back?

Do I understand that if I cut it halfway back (would be almost all old wood) that this is bad for the rosebush?

Please educate me a bit on my sunsprite if you don't mind.

With a modern bush rose in Florida, you don't need to worry about the old vs. new wood issue.

Most new growth will come from high on the plant, so if you don't prune, the plant will continue to be leggy. You could cut it back by half to improve the appearance, but Lioness and I suggested minimal pruning in order to conserve the plant's strength. There is some energy stored in the canes. After it has grown leaves and kept them a few months, it will have more energy reserves and should come back strongly if you decide to prune it hard.

Hope you don't mind I copied you picture :)
My eyes are not what they used to be...
from what I can see in the photo,
I would prune the areas I have shown in pink and leave the rest alone.
Lioness


{{gwi:290451}}

Oh, I almost forgot... should you decide to prune,
make sure you place a little nail polish or Elmers glue on the cut,
to prevent cane borers :)

Wow,
Thank you so much to all of you!!!

Lionesserose!
That is fantastic! I thank you so much for holding my hand on this, I couldn't ask for better instruction!

Michaelg,
I appreciate you educating me also about the energy in the canes. I understand now. I don't want to stress it anymore than it already is.

I feel a little hope now.
I need to find the fish emulshion now also.

So many thanks to both of you~

Lionesserose,
Will do. I have Elmers.

One last question for now.
How do you two feel about baking soda and H2O for the fungicide (I am reading about on line right now) or should I buy some serious stuff and if so would you tell me what you think is a good product?

I hope I can save this lovely rose. I am going to try my very best!

See the FAQ of the Organic Roses Forum for the use of Cornell Mixture and sulfur (but not both, they are incompatible). I used sulfur for over ten years with satisfactory results.

The organic remedies have to be applied weekly; they can burn foliage in hot weather; and they are not as effective as the best synthetic fungicides. However, they can reduce disease to tolerable levels.

Cornell Mixture is baking soda and oil (either salad oil or commercial spray oil from the garden center). A product sold as Green Cure, Armicarb, Caligreen, and Remedy can be used instead of the baking soda. It is chemically similar (potassium bicarbonate), just as safe, and slightly more effective. If you use the commercial products you would not use soap with the mix.

Your other question-- I am using Bayer Rose, Flower Disease Control, the spray concentrate. I do not recommend the combo soil drench product.

Thank you Michael.
Going over to study more.

Your help is sincerely appreciated.

Cary~

Last season I didn't have any luck with baking soda,I ended up spraying Bayer.
This year I have been trying a mixture of:
1Tbs Miracid, 2 Tbs garlic oil & 2Tbs fish emulsion, to 16 oz of water mixed in a spray bottle.
Reading in Google, it has been said Miracid has shown to control black spot & other fungus'.
I'll try anything once, twice if it works :)
We have had 30 plus days of rain, lack of sun and warmer temps.
I do have BS here and there, however it has not taken over the garden as it did last season.
Weather all the rain, my mixture, & or lack of heat have kept the BS down... I am not sure :)
Also, anything you might spray should be spray very early in the morning or at night to prevent burn.
Keep us posted.
Lioness

Lioness, the Miracid meme started on this forum ten years ago with a midwestern grower who noticed a decline in blackspot after foliar feeding in summer. Others tried it with no success. Most of us concluded that his improvement was caused by a change in the weather-- blackspot doesn't thrive in madly blazing heat.