I was thinking just what Jerijen said, amazed that Knockout roses could be decimated by blackspot. MScaradine, are your Knockouts the original Knockout, or one of the varients bred from it? Second question is: You mentioned your tea roses doing well. Did you actually mean the old garden tea roses or hybrid teas? I have just heard so many people shorten hybrid tea to "tea" that I'm never sure. They are completely separate classes of roses. I wouldn't throw out the Knockouts without giving them a chance to recover, perhaps to next year. I had a Belinda's Dream rose that had significant blackspot when I bought it and for a few months afterwards, but after that it was highly resistant. Thanks, Rosetom, for your information about Banner Maxx. I did not know it is the same class as the tebuconazole. I used that before I ever started with the Bayer stuff, so I still have a supply of it. I have also used manzate occasionally, so I'll remember to give that a turn every so often. I don't much care for the filmy residue the Manzate leaves behind, but that's a minor annoyance and doesn't last long. Anyway, I have not been too diligent this year about spraying, but, knock on wood, so far the blackspot has been easily controlled, so the Bayer tebuconazole is still doing its job. Yea, Modern Miracle, indeed! I think Ingrid has a valid concern about the enivornmental impact. It is easier, though, to avoid blackspot in a drier climate. When you live in the Gulf South, blackspot is a major issue. There are certainly a handful of old garden roses highly resistant to it, but none are immune. Also, there are a lot of old garden roses that I see blackspot here as badly as modern roses. so you have to do your research carefully. I find (selfishly, perhaps) that certain colors and bloom form and size combinations are just simply not available in old garden rose varieties. I am encourage, however, with how much improvement we're seeing, in the overall disease resistance of some select modern varieties. My fingers are crossed that this trend will continue. In the meantime, if we're going to use chemicals in the garden, the labels that say CAUTION are supposed to be less dangerous than the ones that say either WARNING or DANGER. Bayer has a CAUTION label. Mike

you would prune a flowering shrub like lilac.. anytime after it flowers ... or.. if it was just buggin you to death.. do it immediately.. and give up the flowers for this year ... there is no reason it should NOT come back with a vengeance .. presuming it is otherwise healthy ... since it is a sucker shrub ... any perennial.. dig it up ... see if the roots look good [if not, you are done] .. throw it around the yard.. yell at it.. curse.. and then replant it.. in a different location ... two theories involved there: one.. the threat to the plant.. releases survival hormones.. and it will respond by getting a move on ..... and two.. you will feel much better.. for having taught it EXACTLY .. who is in charge.. and what the result will be.. if it fails to perform to your expectation .. [and if.. after.. you are still mad.. declare it dead.. and move on with your life.. since you are in charge anyway ..] actually .. its much simpler ... its dead.. when it pisses you off so much.. you have to ask questions on GW ... just be done with it.. ken

Sounds like they could be dead. You said they are just two pots of soil, but if there are branches sticking up, bend a branch to see if it is flexible or snaps. Snapping could be a sign it is dead, but look inside the branch then to see if you see green or brown. (Green=good, brown=bad.) If they literally are two pots of soil with no remaining plant parts above the soil, then I would suggest recycling all that potting soil into another pot with a new live plant in it!

In their second year you could feed them liquid fertilizer-- I alternate fish emulsion and seaweed. I don't feed from July 1 until mid September, to give them a rest. They slow down then anyway. We're always in the 90's during the summer here in SE Virginia. If you apply hardwood mulch that will feed the soil and keep their roots cool. I don't bring it up so it touches the canes, just within a couple inches of them.