I think it will depend on the neighbor on if they are receptive to suggestions. Some are nice and some you wouldn't venture up to their door unless you have a death wish lol.

I think it’s a good letter. Maybe you could offer to help remove them if you are able? Might make it seem more friendly that way. I have some neighbors who have a barking dog. I left a similar note, and offered to help with training, so that the dog was friendly with me and my family and wouldn’t feel it needed to bark so much. The neighbor was receptive, and the dog barely barks now! It all depends on the neighbor though. Good luck!

I think Sultry Jasmine is, unfortunately, correct. Your letter is informative and tactful. If you see no action from your neighbor after several days, and their reaction hasn't been actively hostile, you might try again with them. I would imagine there are ordinances or laws about the control of dangerous plant diseases. If the neighbor refused to cooperate, would be contacting the city/county be helpful? If you do take that step, it would probably be a good idea to tell your neighbor that you plan on doing so.

I looked up local ordinances regarding knowingly growing diseased plants, took pics of the diseased plants, wrote then printed a brief notice that had the rose image, defined RRD etc., included the ordinance info., proper disposal and had references to RRD websites. I left my notice at the neighbor’s front door.

By the weekend, the diseased roses had been removed and I saw closed hefty bags on the curb.

Many homeowners, I find are unaware as to why their rose bushes look so odd (if they even have that realization). The other three homes on the street that have roses with RRD in their front yards took no action in regards to the notices ... yes up to 3 notices wereI left. I can only hope the roses with RRD that remain will not recover from snowmaaggeddon.

Sorry... my IPAD is working oddly... difficult to correct typos etc...

BTW... Iyour letter is very nice. If a follow-up letter is required, maybe local ordinance information can be included?

When I first read the letter, I thought the “report the issue” closing meant you’d “reported” them to some entity and they might also. That would rankle me if I were the neighbor. Upon rereading I understood, but s/he / they may not take reconsider the intent.

It wouldn’t hurt to mention you are a rosarian with a large collection, etc., and offer to help them with the proper disposal, and perhaps if you are willing, offer them a goodwill replacement plant which you know is capable of thriving in your climate.

The situation must be nerve wracking, to say the least. Good luck!

Sorry to hear that. That looks good. Do you have Nextdoor app in your neighborhood? Post a RRD warning message there, educate neighbors on how to deal with RRD.

Thanks everyone for the quick responses.

Sultry,

I do agree there would be a great variance in how a neighbor might respond, some would be annoyed/hostile, others might be compliant. I do know this neighbor this neighbor hired my long time landscape contractor, and my contractor told me that the neighbor greatly admires my yard (I put my name on my letter). So hopefully the neighbor is also a gardener of goodwill and do what's right.

Sam,

That's very nice of you to help train the neighbor's dog. I would gladly help remove these rosebushes, but didn't want to appear too forward. By the way, my puppy has potty training issues, I'd hit you up if you were closer!

Melissa,

I think this will be the only letter I send, and hope for the best. Not saying it's inappropriate to try other stronger means, but for me personally I'll just additionally do miticide protection on my own plants. My state can't even decide whether humans should be reasonably protected from a deadly virus, much less roses. (sorry for the politics).

Lynn,

it's great when a neighbor does the right thing, but unfortunately if one house has infected plants, then our plants are still susceptible. I've told another neighbor about RRD, and they decided just to let the plant die its natural course (which takes years!). Living in TX as I do, you know RRD is a rather common occurence, I could probably find 100 instances of it near me, and I'm only most concerned about the one on my street. A friend of my did report RRD on huge swaths on KOs on public land , and the city did remove them all, which is great. But I'm doubtful they'd interact on personal property.

High Desert,

Yes, I only meant that I was reporting the incident to the neighbor herself, not any authority. I'll take out the word 'report' in any future letter, to avoid any confusion.

Summers,

I had also thought about NextDoor. I think it's good to post a general notice about it. There have been a few in the past, but every time one is posted, it might capture some new sets of eyes and help spread the knowledge.

Oh, one more thing ...I also hoped as Lynn did that the polar vortex would kill all the sick Knock Outs. It didn’t happen! They are bursting out their grotesque RRD shoots.

I agree with @HighDesert Z 7a. I would avoid any ambiguity or words that could possibly be misconstrued. Phrase with compassion and leave open the possibility of you being wrong--even if you're quite certain--because it could come across as patronizing (I know more about roses than you do, silly plebian! how dare you jeopardize my roses with your ignorance?!).

I would err on the side of being helpfully informative and suggest diagnostic possibilities--they appear to have contracted RRD rather than saying they do have it for certain--as well as saying what you would do in the situation. I'd also put the link above the photo so it's more cohesive and they can do their own exploration of the disease and its treatment.

I know that probably seems like overkill, but receiving a written notice of any sort tends to put people on the defensive, and it being so difficult to gauge how what's written is meant to be said it helps to be overly friendly and under-certain. Good luck--I hope they take it seriously and hope it doesn't spread (further).

I think most people don’t realize that it’s a problem and would be grateful a neighbor let them know they could stop worrying about what’s wrong with their roses.

Putting your name on the note should prevent any hard feelings. That was a good idea.

The situation can make one feel somewhat powerless, Ben. The homeowner that had RRD presenting the most danger to my roses, (considering prevailing winds, and the fact that the mature rose in the yard of our rental does not have RRD), removed all of his knockout roses after receiving the second notice. Unfortunately, it came after one of my potted rose bushes was infected. (The other infected roses and notices were left on the doors of homes In the neighborhood)

I have seen images of your garden and must admit that I would be more aggressive, which could back fire initially, but I wouldn’t drop it because the codes in my county do not exclude private gardens... maybe yours do not either...

Lynn,

Powerless is the perfect word to describe the situation. I spend thousands of hours and dollars on my rose garden, and one person can plant one plant that gets sick, and all my work is in danger. I can’t blame the person who planted that rose, it’s likely just another plant to them, they might not be much of a gardener. I do very much blame Star Roses And Plants, still pushing out these awful hordes of Knock Out for mass planting , without proper guidance, while a rose virus pandemic has devastated the area.

Aaron,

Thanks for the thoughtful suggestions. I had already sent out the letter (laminated it and put it on the front doorstep), but will consider them if I have to do this again. Some of the older Knock Outs had finally died out in the neighborhood, and hopefully this is the last stand directly inline with my plantings.

JC,

Thanks, I had considered leaving the letter anonymous, but think it carries more honesty and weight with my name on it.

You are absolutely correct about Texas, Ben. I have reached out to all the appropriate authorities concerning a large swath of diseased K.O.'s in a commercial development (sheared mechanically by a large landscape company that no doubt doesn't bother to sterilize equipment between jobs) and always got the same incredulous response, along the lines of a, "Seriously, dude... This is Texas..." explanation as to why nothing could be done to address the matter.

In view of that, I respectfully disagree with any mamby-pamby "I could be wrong, but..." approaches. It leaves you no wiggle room if and when they interpret an option to wait and see...

I think your message plenty respectful enough. Make your expertise clear while extending concern and sympathy. I like the idea of offering help.

Philip,

I’m sorry that your effort to have diseased KOs taken care of has fallen on such deaf ears. Sorry, but not surprised...sigh.

While I do appreciate everyone’s response on this issue, I find it very revealing that those advocating for a more firm stance live in RRD-infested areas themselves, and have personally made efforts to resolve the issue.

Someone did joking suggest via PM that RoundUp was far more effective than any letter. I know that‘s totally inappropriate, but don’t think for a minute that the thought did not cross my mind!

I find it interesting that the response to infectious plant disease mirrors that to infectious human disease in some areas.

I wish people had more empathy for other's plants and people. I say this as a Physician.

"No Man is an Island" John Donne is a beautiful thought. It applies to plants too.

OK Ben, your garden much too great to go down and your rose are closely planted so time to act....

My suggestion: Distribute a notice to all neighbors in the several blocks around your home. Include pictures of diseased plants in the neighborhood with the address. I doubt anyone will go to a link for information. Mention it is incurable and destroying rose gardens around the world including the original rose gardens at Dallas Arboretum and in Fort Worth. (I have seen some impressive pictures of before and after from national gardens, include them.)

Say that there is national research going on to stop the disease, mention A&M as a major team player with an entire division devoted to RRD. Imply that ignoring the disease is a moral Fo paw, being firm but polite.

It is ALL about the letter. Post here for review and suggestions... many good writers post on this site, yourself included but this is touchy, and all good minds should work together for something that can be utilized by all. The right words written and/or spoken wins the day.

Not everyone will read or care with one letter but keep up a champaign with letters on who has removed and who is left holding onto diseases plants. Praise those that remove as heroes. Offer your help for garden suggestions if you have the time. I am sure you are a friendly neighbor, and all must surely see your beautiful garden. Make this a cause only the morally inept can refuse. Copy news and social media and how they deal with agendas they feel important and want to push.

This or use Round Up and risk the police, Plano probably has nice ones. I would go to jail to defend your garden. But I am old. :))

Your letter is good, Ben, but I'd also mention that time is of the essence in getting rid of the plant. I think you said you left the letter on their porch but signed your name to it. Possibly the letter will be enough. But talking to people face to face is even more direct I think.

My neighbor had a big rrd infected Multiflora plant. I printed out some info similar to what you have. I took it over to him and explained the problem. I offered to dig out the plant and buy him any kind of plant he wanted to replace it. He didn't want a replacement plant but said his multiflora plant was mine.

I sprayed it with miticide , Roundup, and hairspray. Cut it down, bagged it up, and then got help from my husband in digging out the roots . Had to keep going after roots that were sending out sprouts but we got rid of it eventually.

I gave a rose plant to a neighbor but took the opportunity to also give him a printout about rrd.

I sent my husband into the bank with the printed info and they got rid of their plants but planted new Knockouts right over the old ones.

I emailed the funeral home about their sick plants and they promptly got rid of them. People don't seem all that hard to convince and I wouldn't assume they don't care or that you're going to have to get aggressive. Having faith that they will want to help is half the battle. Might not work out every time but appealing to their good will can't hurt.

I do think that the more people who know about rrd the better. Educating the entire neighborhood could really help, and if you have a community newsletter perhaps you could write an article for it. In addition, a local newspaper or tv news might actually appreciate the subject matter.

Also, if this neighbor has more than one rose your battle is half won because you can show them the diseased part and then tell them their other roses are at risk the longer the rrd plant is left in place.

Another thing, I just think if they see your face they will understand what your roses mean to you more than a less personal letter.

Good advice erasmus! The thought that a neighbor (who could be unaware and unconcerned) might be responsible for the destruction of all that beauty we see pictured in Ben's garden just makes this ole lady hot and bothered. You know us oldies we get grumpy when things feel unfair.

Now, I am still willing to go over with Roundup if all else fails. Just what could police do to an elderly lady that would be worse than losing those beautiful roses.

Send neighbors address Ben I got my pump sprayer primed if it is needed. :))

I agree with clarifying what you mean by reporting it. Maybe” I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news”.

I agree also with offering to help and a maybe a peace offering of a rose to help them rebuild their garden.

Also, if I knew my neighbor I would rather they knock on my door (masked of course, because, you know...) and compassionately told me and had some sort of information printed up like you have there. If I didn’t know them, either a visit or a letter would be equally well accepted since people be craaaaazaaaay and like Sultry said, you just never know.

How many roses do your neighbors have? If there are only a few, maybe offer them to replace the RRD roses with new roses? It’s just an idea.

Here’s another version of that issue: a wonderful lady who came over to cut my roses found Rosette Disease in one of them. I think it may have been in a few that I got from the same (Austin, TX) nursery. Out of an abundance of caution, we took out all of the ones (carpet, fairy, Cinco de Mayo) nearby. Should I contact my neighbor, who has Knockouts, and let them know we had Rosette’s? How do I explain the need to destroy the plant, since a plant can still “perform” with the disease? Our neighbor will likely think I’m just being picky.
PS Please do not use Roundup! Non-Hodgins lymphoma, which is tied to these chemicals, is not fun. I’m currently on my second “round” with it. (Pun intended.)

Austin and Erasmus,

Thank you very much for the thoughtful replies, I’m still contemplating what to do next. My letter has been removed from the front porch and the Knock Outs , which were straggly and 7ft tall, have been pruned with hedge cutters to be 5 ft tall. I interpret this to mean that my letter wasn’t taken with the gravity I had hoped for, and they’re just concerned with general landscape maintainance. I might wait for new RRD growth to appear (it’s been trimmed off) and talk to them in person, as Erasmus suggested, with the. angle of saving their other roses. (They have 8 plants, 4 are KOs, I believe at least 2 are infected). Either that, or I’ll move to California...I’m so weary of seeing and worrying about all the RRD around these parts.

@marisa4014 I would notify my neighbors in the situation you described. I wouln’t tell them they had needed had get rid of their roses but I would take them the information and tall with them about it.

@BenT (NorCal 9B Sunset 14) I’m so sorry your neighbor hasn’t responded positively to your warning. It really makes NO sense to not at least remove the obviously infected ones!!!

No need to leave Texas Ben just change neighborhoods. It is rare to see RRD in Park Cities these days. Most removed diseased plants years ago. Zoning helps, no commercial except small business and that very segregated.
I will still get the occasional sick plant so mires are blowing in from somewhere. I do take all possible measures to avoid RRD and keep my figures crossed bec things change.
Pick your poison think of those California taxes. 😱

Austin-

What are Park Cities?

Ben-

Regarding RRD on the rose(s) that likely infected my Duchesse de Brabant, I initially spoke to the owner in person. The meeting was not planned. We had picked up groceries at HEB and were on our way home. I saw the homeowner pull into his driveway and asked by husband to stop the car. I approached him wearing my mask socially distancing, and pointed to his plant, telling him about RRD. The information I provided was to the point but brief. I believe there is a good chance he thought I was crazy, and he responded like your neighbors by simply cutting the roses down. Initially, because the Knockouts were cut down so low, I did not realize they had not been removed. The new growth showed a more prevalent case of RRD. After two notices (one had an image of his rose bush with the RRD circled) the homeowner removed the RRD infected Knock Out and all roses in that planter... Results could just take a different approach... I would not give up... you have too much to lose...

I hope RRD will never show up in your beautiful garden. Have you ever thought about escaping to the country? To move to a property on acres away from crowded neighborhood.....

Hey Lynn, Park Cities is a group of neighborhoods who all have Park in their name. University Park, Highland Park, Greenway Park. KInda like Tarrytown and Clarksville in Austin. They are all in the same general area. Many residents employ noted yard companies for maintenance instead of the blow and go guys like me. The companies are educated on RRD, so this has been helpful to ensure removal of diseased plants. That plus everyone is very polite, helpful, and friendly. When someone honks loud with impatience or cuts you off on the local streets, people always comment that he obviously doesn't live around here. Nice place to live, I chose it because most have larger lot sizes. I looked for the most dirt for the least dollar. I was all about the dirt 'cause I knew could always fix the house.

I had a neighbor this Spring with a "hedge" of Knockouts with Rosette. I printed out educational materials/articles from my state's agricultural university. My hubby shared the information with them and the person who helps with my garden showed them the issue on their roses... they just removed them all this week. For now, my heirloom roses are safer. Educate to influence.

Good job, Amy! You've got good neighbors if they're willing to be educated. :)

A friend who lives nearby called me this morning to describe a problem with one of his roses. It was obvious the rose had Rose Rosette. This afternoon the man who cuts my grass came to cut grass and pick up two roses I had rooted for him. He has a large and lovely garden with roses and many other plants and flowers. When I told him about my friend's infected rose, he said he knew about Rose Rosette and had seen a report about on television this morning. I hope the report had a large audience. If more people know how to recognize this disease and know what to do about it, then perhaps we can begin to reduce the spread.

Lindsey