I'm very late coming to this discussion. It is now May 2019. I live in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, zone 8. I grow an extensive collection of roses, all of which are no spray. If any of my plants show enough black spot to defoliate the plant, or rust for that matter, they are shovel pruned without hesitation. However that doesn't stop me having an entire yard of roses. For Toronto consider the Canadian bred roses grown on their own roots. They are all wonderful plants. 'Campfire' is outstanding. I also have great success with 'Violet's Pride' and 'Edith's Darling' from the Downton Abby series. An outstanding rose is 'Julia Child'. This yellow rose is in it's second year in my garden. Already a very sturdy plant with no disease problems at all. So the point is, don't stop growing roses. Grow roses with superior genetics. Also make sure you have good growing conditions. That means soil that is friable and water retentive, but not water logged. I use a combination of steer manure and peat moss mixed together to create excellent soil. When watering, don't wet foliage if possible. Water the root area. Make sure your roses are getting enough sunlight.

Obviously others have not had a plague of cucumber beetles like I've had or they wouldn't dismiss them so easily. Like thrips, some years are worse then others but in a bad year they will shred every flower in sight. 2 years ago clouds of cucumber beetles (literally clouds) settled onto my fall flower display and within 2 days every mum, Helianthus, Aster and Zinnia was in tatters. My neighbor remarked that it looked like a plague of locusts had passed through. They also afflicted my roses, but with more petals the roses withstood the damage a bit better. In my area they are constantly present during the growing season, but fall is when their numbers can get out of control. I rarely do insecticides and it would have been particularly hazardous to do it when all the blooms were open as not only the cucumber beetles were present but also loads of bees, wasps, moths, butterflys etc. All I can do is pray that it doesn't happen that badly every fall. Cucumber Beetle eating a rose petal. Note how their eating pattern which can lead to the shredding pattern. They also drop down into the layers of petals and munch away out of sight.

Hi All! As a rose nut, I've battled blackspot over the years. I used to deal with it organically, but I have changed to Bayer. What I use, though, is not the spray on fungicide, but Bayer All-in-One Rose and Flower Care. It comes in a concentrate which you dilute and apply at the base of the plant. While the label says that it should be applied every three months, I've found that a single spring application does the trick for me. This stuff has made my gardening so much easier. No longer do I have to worry about any kind of problem with the roses. It also includes a fertilizer so one application in spring (or whenever) takes care of the plants. I also used this on a crepe myrtle which had chronic mildew and it cures whatever decides, each year, to chomp on my angel trumpets and mallows. Also has taken care of the aphids which love my hibiscus plants. Anyway, I have a very small lot and about 50 rose bushes crammed together. Bayer has solved my problems. (I have to qualify that. I have one rose that it doesn't work on. That rose continues to blackspot. I'll probably pull it out of the garden this year. But, the roses around it, if given the Bayer treatment, don't get blackspot themselves. I experimented with organic methods on roses for years and developed some strategies, but I have to admit that this is the one case where Bayer has won me over. Cathy

Tina, Don't know a lot about roses, but have dealt with blackspot. The house I moved into 5 yrs ago had a rosebush in front, and there are not gutters on front of house. It had blackspot, and the beetles ate the leaves until there was nothing left. I tried a few organic methods for getting rid of blackspot, and nothing worked- the site was the main factor. However, neighbor had blackspot on same kind of rosebush, and it was out in the open yard. I finally pulled up the rosebush, sad, but it was a losing battle and an eyesore. Thought I'd plant something in its place, something that liked moisture. I think I put black plastic on soil to try to "kill" any spores. Anyway, planted a spicebush there last fall. This year it has some kind of dx, probably fungal. Yeah, it could be the location. I wouldn't put another rose plant where that one was if I were you, but if you love roses there is a forum on here and maybe they can help you out. One day, when I own my own home, it will have gutters on the front and I will find a rose not susceptible to blackspot...... Yeah, in our humidity fungal dx is an issue, at least it's been for me. Best of luck. Gretchen