I think you need some pro help but IMO they have had a good life maybe start fresh with some new ones .

Your house must me gorgeous. I would love to see a pic with your roses! Definitely do your research: I was just reading about climbing roses, cutting back the oldest canes in winter. Any time of year you want to cut disease, it is the pruning for new growth you want to do in winter. Throwing them out and buying new ones will not solve the problem. It is not their age, roses are a PIA> There are so many good resources online. They love compost and are heavy feeders. I am a half-assed gardener so they are a bit fussy for me but I do my best and suffer the rusty yellow days of mid summer...

The explanation, if you are wondering, is that this query also posted in “Design Dilemma”.

Bad Houzz.

Hi Rae! Congratulations! First, some clear photos of the damage you describe will definitely help diagnose what is wrong and what you might do to correct it. Second, not all "damage" is terminal nor even requires immediate attention. Old borer damage can frequently be fairly superficial and not demand attention to prevent further damage. The hollowed out area is actually fairly common with old, budded roses (if it is actually budded). I have encountered many old budded plants where the center of the original stock had rotted out, leaving an "atholl" of living rose which was actually the cambium layer with outer bark and completely viable roots. Often, those can carefully be dug at the appropriate time, separated and result in multiple plants of the rose.On Help Me Find-Roses, I wrote of one such plant in my March 6, 2006 post in the "Comments" section for the rose, Red Radiance. It's surprising just how many years such roses can hang on and even flourish. So, this may also be something which doesn't necessarily demand immediate attention.

I would suggest also posting photos of the flowers and foliage to see if we may be able to identify the varieties. It's entirely possible you may have something which is otherwise not known to exist. It's also possible they are fairly common varieties which might be able to be replaced with new plants, should that be the way you wish to go. As long as the plants are growing and flowering, you might also be able to propagate them so there are replacements of the originals to replant in place, or elsewhere in the yard, should your rescue efforts not succeed (but they often do, so don't give up hope!) or if you decide you want more of them around the garden. Jackie, here on this forum, lives and gardens in a house which has been family owned for well over a century and has quite a few beautiful, old "heirloom plants" such as these. I'm sure she can also suggest some efforts you might make to help preserve what is already there.

I would also suggest contacting your local rose society to see what any local Consulting Rosarians suggest should be done, as they live there and deal with the disease issues and pressures your roses have withstood for who knows how long? Just as you should with medical advice, don't necessarily accept the first you receive, particularly if it doesn't agree with how you wish to go. If there are multiple Consulting Rosarians, ask for second, or more, opinions, because that's what they are, opinions, just as ours are. You should also probably contact the Heritage Rose Group to see who might be in your area and possibly more familiar with older varieties than some of the ARS members might be.

You can safely remove any dead canes and stems without hurting anything. I don't know what to suggest about sealing any pruning cuts into newer wood. Some urge sealing everyhing, while others urge never sealing cuts, allowing them to heal themselves. And, what works here may not necessarily be the best suggestion for where you are, which is why hearing all sides to the story from those who live where you do is helpful. I understand the desire to do SOMETHING before the real heat arrives, but they have survived for possibly many years without drastic measures, so this may not be an emergency requiring immediate action. I would keep them watered and weeded, providing them as good air circulation as possible, while contacting local ARS and Heritage Rose Group members for their expert opinions. Mildew, rust and black spot can be improved dramatically by improving the light and air circulation around the plants. It's possible the mildew will improve simply by the weather warming and drying more than it has been. Rust attacks old foliage and what you may be seeing are last year's leaves which haven't been knocked off by rain, freezes or otherwise removed. Any old, rusty and badly spotted foliage can also be safely pulled off, bagged and thrown out in the trash. An increase in heat, light quality and duration will stimulate the plants to produce new growth and foliage as long as they have sufficient water. How much and when are decisions you are better suited to make than any of us because you live with them and can see and feel how damp the soil is and what your rain situation is. But, from your description, it doesn't sound as though they are in danger of expiring any time soon, so you should have enough time to investigate your local resources. I think most of us would enjoy seeing photos to see if we can help. Good luck! Kim

Hi, Rae. How wonderful that you just bought an "heirloom house" with "heirloom roses"! Congrats on your new home. Is it an Arts and Craft bungalow or foursquare? I live in close-in SE Portland in a 1912 post Victorian farmhouse that was moved to its current very small lot location.

As Kim and Moses said, if you could post a series of photos of all of your various plagues and pestilences, that would be a huge help! It sounds like you're experiencing the full meal deal of evils that befall our area. Antique Rose Forum John is another Portland area gardener, and he and I have been consoling each other over all of this spring's crazy explosions of hungry, egg laying critters and the epidemic proportions of diseases. On the up side, you are not alone! Everything you describe sounds like what I have seen in my own garden.

Please post some photos, and I will offer any suggestions I can. Pics of the problem areas on the plants and of the rose blooms, canes and foliage would be really useful since IDing the roses helps with advice. Different classes and cultivars are prone to different ills and may prefer different treatments.

May I just interject that Houzz's new system of triple posting across categories is really irritating? Thanks for bearing with a personal complaint. I think I'm going to email the powers that be to let them know how confusing the new system is. Carol

Thanks so much for the responses! Here are some pictures of the rose bush. Thanks again everyone as I’m really determined to do everything I can to revive the roses in the garden.

Thanks!

Rachel

That is a very good yellow.

Following

I am also following. Moses, Kim, Carol well said. Esp, you Kim.

Rachel, you came to right place and many of them have so much knowledge and experience and it is remarkable.

Thank you posting the pics . Your yellow rose is so beautiful :)

Could you take more pics of the rose like close up and I see a reddish pink rose as well but I can't tell . A close up on rose itself do the trick :)

Jin

From those photos, they honestly don't look bad! They also don't appear to be 1920s varieties nor plants, but some planted decades later. From the quality and type of foliage, I get the impression they are late Twentieth Century varieties, which is not to say they aren't worth taking care of and resurrecting. I don't believe they are original to the house. Of course I could be wrong, but we you study early modern roses, you develop a feel for how they should look: their foliage types; growth habits and architecture; foliage density; etc. and these appear more modern than what was typical for the first few decades of the last century.

That 3rd photo down looks like my 'Julia Child' rose, large glossy foliage with butter yellow blooms... but I wouldn't really know, just saying...

They look modern to me, too. And they look like they are doing quite well! How great that your place came with roses. Mine only came with one, unkempt Mr. Lincoln which will forever be 10 feet tall!

Kim covered so much of the initial care that I'm not sure what to add. We do have a couple of kinds of cane borers in this area, so I seal most of my cuts (I just can't handle sealing the numerous, out-of-reach cuts on big climbers and ramblers) with Elmer's Glue All. If it rains soon after pruning, and the cuts haven't had a chance to harden below the dried glue, I reseal the ends. It doesn't take much glue. Just enough to put a lid on the open end.

If you decide that you want to add some antique roses around your antique home, there are a number of places to snag some, including Heirloom Roses in St. Paul, OR and Joy Creek out in Scappoose. (Have you been to Joy Creek? Great clematis!) If you ask, I'm sure all of us Antique Rose Forum members will chime in at once with favorites and recommendations! A few easy to grow beauties that come to mind are Jacques Cartier, Perle d'Or, Rose de Rescht, Blush Noisette, Buff Beauty, Penelope, Reine des Violettes, Salet, Blanc Double de Corbert and Marie Pavie.

Please DO keep us updated. I am so excited about your new home and garden!

:-) Carol

I think old rose immure systems are great. I believe you can cut them all from the ground, they will still comes back. Rose are worthy to buy. Some times $30 can buy new spiec which have a disease resistance. For example DA are very good disease resistance. Medication for plants are quiet expensive.

Just let you know that my mom digged up my 10 years rose plant with some root. They comes back from the same spot.

After kill the insect, put some neem oil. There r seals at the HD / Lowes . near the neem oil section.

Sorry here’s the pic….new here

Really new sorry nothing to do with your discussion….good luck