If it is midge, you would see blackened and aborted growth tips and buds around the garden.

If the necks are stiff and don't show signs of damage by tiny insects, it is just a temporary developmental disorder, appropriately called "bent neck," with no particular cause.

Ummm, how's your water and heat situation? First thing to fold over in heat stress here are the buds, followed by the leaves, in pretty short order. A spray of water over the leaves helps to lower the heat and generate higher humidity. Deep watering helps over the long run. This helps for MY arid climate, which hasn't seen rain for many months now nor a break in the 100+ temps. Already had 10+ days continuous 110+ degrees last month. Roses are feelin' it, too.

Midge can also show as what looks like a little burn mark on the neck of the bloom (it got there too late to get the emerging bud, but not too late to do some damage), so it is a possibility. I can't tell from these photos.

Could just be as michaelg said, sometimes some roses do this, no rhyme or reason, and they do grow out of it later in the season.

I was wondering the same thing. my pat austin occasionally has 'bent neck'.

thanks.

Wildlifegarden I wonder if there is something inherent to a Pat Austin to do that. Out of 100+ roses I tend to that's the only one with this phenominon. It's been like that for a year pretty much. No other rose has floppy blooms like the Pat Austin does.

I get some bent necks. Sometimes there is signs of midge damage, sometimes it just seems to happen.

I have lots of buds with burn marks on the side, bent necks, or buds that dry up and never develop. So, it sounds like midge for me. But will someone tell me what is the best cure that would be as organic as possible? Will spinosad help?

rrm, you will probably need weapons of mass destruction-- see the thread linked.

Before DDT, the traditional remedy was to mulch with chopped tobacco stems. Patriciae says she got control by mulching the garden very thoroughly with newspaper topped with bark during winter dormancy. The idea is that all the midges are undergound as pupae and the paper keeps them from escaping as adults in spring. It would be useless applied after growth begins, because the second and following generations would just pupate in the mulch over the paper.

Here is a link that might be useful: midge sprays

Being the Patricia of newspaper fame-I can say with certainty that is works. I have seen no sign for two years that is difinitly midge-I do get the occasional bent neck-it happens. I had a real serious mess in one large bed of 30-40 roses but I emphasize what Michael said, this a a dormant treatment. You must wait until all cycles are over for the year. Oh-I use woodchips not bark. Cant imagine it would make a difference. I do not remove old mulch-just slap some new stuff down on the old. I have some perennials and under plantings around the edge of that bed. I use no pesticides. I actually have a couple of containers of Diazanon that I keep to threaten with...never had to use them.

I contacted Jack Schoultz from www.organicrosecare.org and he suggested spraying with spinosad, 3 times every 3-4 days, then every 2 weeks. I wanted to try it anyway for thrips. He is an organic care expert, so I hope it works!

Are your necks stiff or are the kind of limp? Mine get limp necks when its really hot and/or they need water. In my case, a good watering usually straightens them right back up.