Jean, Rose Defense is clarified hydrophobic extract of neem, which amounts to saying it's the residue left when crushed neem seeds have been extracted with alcohol or other solvents to remove the good stuff containing the insecticde azadirachtin. Rose Defense is basically a vegetable oil, analogous to Mazola corn oil or canola cooking oil. Like many other oils, it will smother fungal spores or insects or their eggs. There is no evidence that it is especially better at this compared to other oils, and it is certainly more expensive. At any rate, all oils can burn rose leafs if sprayed in high concentration in hot weather. Two TBS per gallon will produce a solution containing less than 1% oil and this is usually safe with most oils. You can increase the margin of safety if you water your roses thoroughly the day before you spray and don't spray at all if the temperature gets close to 90 degrees.

Okay, before I continue, Roseguy you MUST post some pics of your rose garden here. 1000 ROSES!?!?!?!?! Wow, and all in Florida. Please share. Rachel, based on what I know about the soil in Central Florida and what I know about the weather pattern up there, I would suggest you plan out what you want in detail and begin section by section. Never get rid of a rose. Let that thing die on its own before you toss it. I've had roses with dieback coming up and down the stem and seen it make it with some TLC, so never give up. Shoot, I have a Crescendo that I got bareroot from Breck's with massive crown gall that I know will eventually succumb but I can't get myself to give up completely! Here's what I'd do (for what's it's worth, lol): 1.) Plan out your yard. Use MS Publisher or get a cheap poster board and plot out where you want all your roses to go. Make sure to take into account the rose's habit as well as the color scheme that you're going for. With all that space you have, you can afford to space out your roses using the three foot rule. Also, make sure to place your roses in the sunniest spots of your land, no use putting them next to root greedy trees when they will already have a hard time establishing a good root system. 2.) Create beds for your roses. I have installed my beds using Castle Rock pavers. I purchase them a little every weekend and now I have great big beds that look good. Once the pavers are in place dig out the existing soil down one to two feet. The task is arduous, but if done in sections it will seem doable. Call C&C Peat or The Bushel Stop and have them deliver several yards of their potting soil to fill in your beds. 3.) Plant your roses one section at a time. Remember to cut them back a bit and to place the weaker/smaller bushes to the outer edges of your beds to give them plenty of room and sun to grow. 4.) Apply mulch and possibly ground cover to your beds. 5.) Get into the habit of mixing in fertilizer onto your roses. I like to create a tea using alfalfa pellets, fish emulsion, and seaweed extract. Occasionally, apply a water soluble fertilizer like miracle grow in cooler weather. Remember, during the June to August your job is to maintain your rose's existing leaves and not to grow it further, so fertilize during the cooler months. 6.) Develop a spray program that works for you. You have purchased quite an arsenal, but there's no point using something that is not needed. For Florida gardeners, the go-to chemicals are Banner Maxx/Honor Guard, Mancozeb, and Conserve SC. Cleary, Subdue Maxx, and Alliette are other great chemicals that can be applied between applications of the aforementioned spray program so your pests don't develop an immunity to any of the medicines. Spray every seven to fourteen days as needed. Spraying too frequently may actually hurt your plants. 7.) Come here for help. Years ago I found this site (then under a different incarnation that has undergone two major changes over the years) and I found the answers to questions I didn't even know to ask. Know that you are among friends that share you passion for roses. 8.) Understand that the past five months have been atypical. When the nursery that produces the roses I buy tell me that they have experienced the same problems that I have had due to difficult weather conditions, I relax at the thought that little ole me, with my limited resources, am not alone in the problems. With any luck, the recent weather pattern will usher new healthy growth and turn the tide that has brought so much hardship to our rose collections. Good luck! -Adrian.

Diana, your roses gorgeous!! Your Plum Perfect is amazing! Love the color of Lavender Crush. They are all lovely, thank you for sharing.

I am not familiar with rose experts/ rosarians doing house calls, especially right now... I have witnessed a lot of people getting very useful help by posting images of the issues their plants have, and seeking advice on this forum, especially from members who garden in So. CA.