Some people gave up growing roses until
the knockouts came on the scene then lawns & gardens became populated with ko's so its natural they would get hit hard by RRV since there is so many of them...

My beautician told me this a few months ago. She has about 6 Knock Out roses with definite RRD in her front yard. She didn't want to remove them until winter, and will plant something else after they are removed. (I pointed the disease out to her about a year and a half ago, but she was going to let them go to be sure.)

She said that many rose growers are going to stop growing Knock Outs because "all" of the Knock Outs are infested.

I am not sure who she has spoken with or exactly what they said, but she feels that Knock Outs are severely damaged.

Sammy

Have to confess that I've not opened the link, but I have to ask this: If 33 - 50 per cent of all KOs have RRD, what's the infection rate for ALL roses in the mid-section of TN? Unless that data is presented in Kuska's link, then the info is meaningless -- meaningless in addition to being REALLY unfair to KOs.

I agree Jaxonel...

I'd like to see that data for all roses also...

My question is: did so many Knock Outs show sympytoms because they were planted where herbicide damage could occur? A related question: were these so called cases confirmed by PCR?

I post these articles here as I expect that articles posted here will reach a highly rose educated group who will benefit from and contribute to an open discussion of the "news" and be willing and able to pass the word along regarding the comments generated here..

Okay, okay, I opened the link . . . It's a prime example of alarmist, highly misleading journalism. The "take away" for the vast majority of the public is this: Avoid KOs and you will avoid RRD.

Henry is probably quite correct in implying that many of those countless plantings of KOs in public places are subject to herbicide drift. Too bad that possibility is not mentioned in either the televised piece or in the written article that accompanies it. In fact, the information provided is misleading on several fronts. Haphazard reporting of "facts" like what we see here is a real disservice.

I live here. My town Franklin has scads of them planted both by subdivision blow and goes as well as in town by the city with city maintenance. Just walking through the town where yes, herbicide drift could happen NO ONE would confuse what we are seeing in diseased roses with drift problems.

It just isn't even close. It's so far beyond that.

Maybe a bush in the first weeks could be confused, but after that there just isn't a question. Most of the bushes in my downtown have been involved for over a year. And they are still there. Looking pathetic.

My equine vet has a couple hedges of them along their barns and surgery. I pointed out the very beginnings of the disease on one bush (out of dozens) to one of the partners. Showed him how to identify it and how to cut the branch back to the ground and the importance of doing it RIGHT AWAY. I'm there a bunch and so far this summer we've kept it at bay.

I'm a little surprised by the 30-50% of ALL KOs in Middle TN. But if they had said 30-50% of the ones in professionally landscaped areas I'd say yes in a heartbeat and maybe worse.

Just an aside, the clip with the Ag guy was done at Elington Agriculture Center in Nashville which is probably a 100+ acre campus. When I was there this Spring they too had several fully involved bushes. Both KO plantings as well as areas of scruffy invasive plants with diseased multiflora in it.

I think the poorly kept KOs and the invasive multiflora has created a one, two punch around here.

So far in three years none of my roses have succumbed, but I suspect its just a matter of time before the local multiflora sends some this way.

Subk,
Would you watch and see how many years it takes for an individual bush to die?
The first hedge I watched locally finally died totally last May, but the look of sick roses changed each year. Funny thing, though, the last look was strap like leaves that certain folks would claim to be herbicide, but since that was after five years of infection as the disease spread.
Love lawyers renting a house with a yard service; they did nothing but mow and blow. Even when the KOs changed color and the blooms became many fewer and the buds started failing horiffically and the sepals started resembling artisanal lettuces.

Thanks for the info subk3...

Just wondering why henry kuska ONLY makes posts having to do with diseases and death? Has anyone else noticed this? Why is he even worried about roses if the thinks they are so disease ridden?

The follwing was stated by jokewing: "jJust wondering why henry kuska ONLY makes posts having to do with diseases and death? Has anyone else noticed this? Why is he even worried about roses if the thinks they are so disease ridden? "

H.Kuska comment:
Jockewing, perhaps your own post is a good explanation as to why I feel knowledge about what is known/unknown about rose diseases is important.

"Posted by jockewing 9a (My Page) on Thu, Jul 4, 13 at 16:18
Yes Thornton, I hope you are right. With the amazing science we have today, I'm surprised more roses with such qualities have not been released. It just baffles me that the most beautiful flower we are able to grow is plagued with so many problems. Why must that be? There are so many beautiful plants that are such a breeze, but in my opinion nothing is so special as a classic hybrid tea rose. Why must they be plagued with so many diseases and pests? I admire the Knockouts, but I just don't think they are beautiful except perhaps in mass plantings from a distance, say at a commercial building or along the highway. We want giant flowered hybrid teas with the same vigor!!!
It really makes me sad that virtually NO ONE I know in my area grows any classic hybrid teas at all, with may the exception of a few here or there, usually in an older neighborhood."
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/roses/msg0715030426702.html
-----------------------------------------------

Additional H.Kuska comment: If you are interested in my other contributions to rose growing why not do a Google search with the search terms:

"Henry Kuska" and roses

or you could get a partial view at the following thread:

http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/roses/msg0411322117173.html

Here is a link that might be useful: link to earlier thread

This post was edited by henry_kuska on Sun, Oct 20, 13 at 16:33

Jockewing, Henry is a scientist.

If you were going to have surgery, would you make such a comment about a surgeon? Would it bother you if he/she were totally absorbed in his specialty that he did not seem to have a life?

Many of us are professionals, and we are driven and care much about our professional lives.

Why do you care so much about Henry that you would make such a comment? Before looking at the post you were able to see the title of it.

Sammy