Zack -- BS is a serious problem for about half of the roses in my coastal Carolina garden. I succeed in keeping the disease at bay by spraying Honor Guard once every three weeks. Every spring I mark my spray days on the calendar for the entire season and keep rigorously to that 21-day schedule -- adjusting it only if rain is predicted. Honor Guard has the the same formulation and active ingredient (propiconazole) as Banner Maxx, but is less expensive. A very little amount goes a long way (1/3 teaspoon of Honor Guard to a gallon of water). Gardeners in other zones tell me that it's also very effective in controlling PM, anthracnose & rust -- altho rust control apparently requires a slightly stronger solution. ND1964 -- Re your comment, **might spray again this week but don't really see any BS yet**. IMO, if you're going to resort to spraying your roses, it's very important to establish a rigid schedule. Often leaves are hopelessly infected BEFORE you see the evidence. Most spray products are preventatives, not cures, and spraying those products will not stop already-infected foliage from exhibiting the tell-tale spots you're hoping to avoid. Michaelg -- FWIW: I know we've all been told time and time again that 'Gruss an Aachen' is a Floribunda -- in fact, that its arrival on the scene heralded the advent of the Floribunda class. Not so, say Gregg Lowery (Vintage Gardens), Brent C Dickerson, and several European authorities. They insist that GaA is rightly classified as a Hybrid Tea. So, according to them, that rose of yours that totally defoliated is an HT afterall . . . ;-)

Fungicides are the least toxic of the horticultural chemicals. Yes Daconil can burn foliage but only under certain conditions (when plants are dried out and temps outsides are hot). I've never had it burn any of my roses because I'm certain to water them beforehand, only apply it early in the season, and limit spraying to the early morning or evening hours. In fact, its a whole lot less harmful to the foliage than lime-sulfur, which is an "organic" fungicide. The only toxic side effect I've read in the literature about Mancozeb is that there is a slightly higher incidence of eye trouble in agricultural workers who routinely work around it. These people don't have the advantage of goggles, a respirator, and protective clothing. They are also exposed to much higher levels and much more often. I've never noticed a marked decrease in insects from the use of fungicides. A bit of perspective. This weekend I visited my 70 year old mother. Before leaving for what is a three hour drive I picked a new blossom of PRETTY JESSICA, a gorgously fragrant new English Rose that I acquired last year. As I was driving I'd occasionally pick up and smell the rose. The powerful Damask fragrance kept me alert and happy during the drive. Such a treat! The flower was still fresh and beautiful when I arrived. My mother immediately wanted me to buy her the rose when I let her smell the flower. I had to gently let her down. "Pretty" as PRETTY JESSICA is, she needs spraying and mom's health won't allow her to put in the necessary work to keep the English Rose looking good in her Tidewater VA garden. My mother was profoundly disappointed. Her rose garden is organic, and lovely as the Chinas and Teas are, they just don't have that certainly "quality" that we've come to expect from the English Roses (and Bourbons, Hybrid Perpetuals, Portlands; all of which are disease mongers). I'm hoping mom will be more pleased as her new garden develops. Duchesse de Brabant and Belinda's Dream in particular should please her. "It is beauty that nourishes the soul." Image of PRETTY JESSICA by Celestial Rose.

crikey ... first.. its september.. if you are really in z4 ... what do you plan on preventing before the plants go dormant for winter in 30 days or so??? second... you have used more sprays than i have.. in the last ten years .... why??? .. it really doesnt matter if they organic or not.. if you are using too much.. too often .... third ... are you using an real soap.. or dish detergent ...it matters ... 4th ... there is no stopping PM this time of year.. remove annuals and be done with them.. cut back perennials and be done with them ... especially in your zone ... 5th.. please link me to the instructions .. that said you could mix them all together ... you took instructions for individual products.. and simply combined them.. and killed your plants ... its obvious to me ... it didnt work.. finally. ... think about getting rid.. in toto.. some of that plants that require the most spraying ... thats how i reduced my spraying to none ... i just got rid of the plants ... there is nothing you cant live without... in the garden ... ken

I wash it when I notice it needs it. I have a central exhaust system that works in all the bathrooms so it exhausts all bathrooms whenever any bathroom is used so I don't have a constant mold problem. I don't have a liner just a fabric curtains. So how about once every 3 months maybe if that. When I do wash it I just use very warm water and detergent, 1 wash 2 rinses then I hang it in the shower to dry. For the other bathrooms I do the same thing since no liners are used in them either. I think the plastic liners just make more of a mess and breed more mold than just using a fabric curtain.