Cosmos down my front yard fence line.

I agree with pink rose. I looked up google images for downy mildew on roses, and the image shown by Oregon State University is a ringer for some of Carol's pics. I need to go back and read about treatments and why this stuff happens, the conditions for its occurrence.

Magpie, what lovely, lacy cosmos. Obviously. you don't have quail.

Carol, I'm very sorry some of your roses have this awful stuff. Check google images and look at the info for causes and treatment. You don't hear about this disease as much as others, but it's one of the big four roses diseases, apparently. Your Augusta Luise above is luscious. Just look at those ruffles. I hope you have many more blooms like this one. Diane

I use Daconil when I see signs of Downy Mildew .

https://www.gardentech.com/products/daconil/daconil-fungicide-concentrate

The main difference between downy mildew and BS is the first started from top and BS from bottom. I am using Previcur Energy to treat DM.

Daconil is recommended by tge American Rose Society. I use it once ir twice a year when I have fungus. When fungus attacks one may get a few types of fungus , BS & others.

Carol, It apoears you have Downy M. Daconil stops & prevents DM. Pick off all damaged leaves first then spray weekly . The purplish large spots are DM. Remove all keaves from soil. Treat immeduately as it is damaging to a rose healthy systemically and overall health.

Magpie - your Cosmos are SO ethereally beautiful!!

Pink Rose - Downy Mildew, huh. Drat. Once I started watering with tap water, the roses started growing nice fresh leaves.

Diane - Thanks about my Augusta Luise. :):)

Well, the season is almost over and I take all the leaves off before they go to the garage. Wouldn't that fix the problem and next year without treatment, they would be fine?

I found this:

Does downy mildew stay in soil? Downy mildew does spread in the soil in mild climates and during warm weather months in colder climates. It does not survive in the soil during cold winters.

So my garage would be considered a mild climate. Maybe if I took out the top 1/2 inch of soil?

Does anyone here think that I'll have to toss roses with DM? I wish I had asked you all earlier. DM has been on my roses for at least a month because I just thought it was BS. I do have roses that don't have DM. I guess I could toss all roses with DM and keep the others...but this would be a huge cost to replace. Drat.

Thank you, all.

I don't know about that, Carol. I was under the impression that downy mildew was systemic once it has shown up on leaves. You need more good info. I'd go ahead and spray the plant with Daconil after the leaves are removed. What do the rest of you out there think who have had experience with this rose disease? See what Kitty says above about this disease being systemic. Diane

I feel sick about this. Apparently it doesn't like cold temps, and I usually leave my roses out to -5C/23F before I bring them inside.

I'm going to take all the leaves off of my infected roses.

Found this: The fungus does not survive Indiana winters because it requires green, living plant tissues. That means the fungus generally overwinters in the southeastern United States.

But...my roses do go into the garage with green canes.

I think it's good to leave the roses out to 23F with infected leaves removed. I would then spray the plant and the soil around the plant. After the roses go into the garage, I'd continue spraying on a weekly basis. I hope others have suggestions. Diane

I don't think you need to toss them, Carol. It's so late in the season, I wouldn't consider throwing any roses out until you've at least attempted to treat the issue and seen how they grow back next year. Next spring maybe you want to prune really hard and keep a close eye on how the leaves grow back, throw away all the prunes plant material, and use a recommended fungicide before and after dormancy this year.

Carol

I certainly would not throw away any plant because of Downy Mildew. I would just spray, remove leaves, clean up the surface. Those roses still have nice root systems and will come back.

Kitty, I got it about Rose Society recommendations, It a part of the reason why effective less harmful fungicides can not get in to mass market.

Hi, Carol,

I might have had DM & other fungus. The South gets all fungus and they just remove leaves, spray and their roses bounce back eventually. I get different fungus each year depending on weather. This year I have more damp wet & more fungus effecting more roses, even my resustant ones . My shade roses have problems now. Oh, Olivia is good-Lol! . For you, just clean up the leaves and spray soil/leaves weekly for awhile. After a month ot 2 if you see no problems then I‘d quit spraying. Take it all w/ a grain of salt. Simple maintance! You’ll have a beautiful spring!

I only soray if I see them effected. Some people say spray all roses in spring to prevent. However, I rarely have fungus in the spring… so no soraying for me in rhe spring yet. I soray when heavey rains bring fungus in mid-August through fall if needed if needed.

Although DM is systemic, spraying Daconil can stop/prevent spreading possibly. i know it has helped my fungus issues. Next spring they all do better after fungus.

For me, I will be pruning back roses anyway for winter so removing a lot of leaves anyway! A few may have no leaves, , but they grow back! I gave it a good spray today. May have less blooming this fall. My intense cold winter may kill it, too. I will clean it up good! Then enjoy the rest of fall!!!!!

I am going to double check this DM issue. They are supposed to have fuzzy spores underneath each leaf if in humid weather. I checked my leaves and see no fuzz. DM can looks a lot like BS, but fuzzy under leaves if humid. For DM-The color may be yellow spots that on older leaves turn broen or purple. (BS is not on under sides of leaves, can be black/brown, but DM can be black-brown-purple.) I distinguising characteristic is DM starts on top of rose bush & BS starts at bottom of rose bushes. Also DM has distinct edged spots & BS has feathery edged spots. DM spots often stop at or cluster around leaf veins. They can drop raoidly from rise bush & look like singed torch… see article attached.

I have read DM is serious, more detrimental to roses; however I would double check carefully to see if Carol has or doesn’t have it.

.

Carol, do you see fuzzy white, purple, gray under your leaves w/ some humidity ? If spots are formed at top of rose bush leaves? Do spots form near veins of leaves? Are spots edges distict? These are symptons of DM.

Nevertheless, I think in moderate cases, roses just bounce back after proper clean-up care and soraying to prevent.

I think I have had it on a few roses before seasons and they are fine next season until late Sept. now.

Click to read clearly book article….

With proper care, your roses will be fine. This article just demonstrates the difference between DM & BS. A positive. thought will help your roses to recover well and flourish!

I spray Daconil during cold & wet weather to prevent Downy Mildew . Some roses are more prone to get it . For me Kordes Plum Perfect used to get it every Fall , sadly it did weaken it in the end and now it is half the size it was .

@Kristine - That volunteer seedling in your garden - more of a sapling by now - might be a native plant like sumac or walnut, but I think it looks more like Tree of Heaven that Sheila suggested. Here are some ways to tell it from the natives.

https://bplant.org/compare/318-1228

https://extension.psu.edu/tree-of-heaven-native-look-alikes

If it proves to be Tree of Heaven, get it gone! My parents have one in their yard that really needs to come down. It grew to 20 feet tall in just a few years.

Diane - that sounds good. I'm just not sure what to spray with. I did some research on Facebook and these were suggested

- Uncle Tom's Rose Tonic (recommended by Austin...someone said it worked for DM). Can't find it here or in U.S. Aliette (can't find it), Daconil

There is uncertainty regarding the primary inoculum of rose downy mildew. Although it has been speculated that rose downy mildew may overwinter as fungal strands on or in woody tissue, as happens with some other downy mildew diseases, this was not supported by recent studies on rose. Rose plants affected by downy mildew one season did not develop the disease the following season when all dropped leaves were disposed of and the plants were grown in an enclosed chamber with frequent misting to encourage downy mildew.

Thanks, Magpie. I'm having trouble finding a spray for Downy Mildew here in Canada. Dr. Earth may work.

Kitty - Daconil should be applied in the evening...bee safety. Runoff risk is high. Sigh. Yes, the spots come from the top of the plant. I can't check under the leaves as it's raining.

Ben - thanks. What would you spray with?

Elena - thanks. :) I checked and protective clothing should be used for Previcur Energy. It doesn't sound safe. :(

Pink Rose - darn. And, you use Daconil too. Sounds like a good product. But...

I may just see if the cold temperatures will kill the DM, take the leaves off and see what happens. If they die, I guess I can take off the top soil from the pot and try new roses. I was also checking to see if my neighbor's cucumbers (which have mildew) could have spread to my roses...apparently not...DM is genus specific.

Thanks everyone. The best may be to use Daconil.

Hmmmm....I found that high temps actually kill the spores...so...we do have a huge overhead garage heater. I could take the leaves off, and blast with the overhead heater for 24 hours and maybe that will work.

Yes that might work .one time for a few days l poured very hot tap water over Downy Mildew affected leaves of Plum Perfect , it seemed to stop it that year . The leaves didnt burn Thank God .

Carol, first of all, Kitty thought it might not be downy mildew. I believe It is from what I saw on google images (I mentioned Oregon State U's image), some of which are ringers for the spots on your rose leaves. There is a great variety of types of spotting, and there are probably some variations of the species that cause this mildew. Daconil has been around for a long time. I think it's your safest bet, and maybe just one application to the affected plants would do the trick. I would not try the overhead heater. Powdery mildew as found on your neighbor's cukes is not as serious as downy mildew and not systemic. From what I've read, downy mildew is the most serious of the four prime fungal diseases that strike roses: powdery mildew, blackspot, rust, and downy mildew. Is Daconil available in Canada? Diane

https://www.almanac.com/rose-diseases-identification-photos-and-treatment

Rogue Royale is getting the spa treatment ; a nice milk bath today and tomorrow a baking soda facial.

The worst leaves are getting clipped off, the rest can hang on until the first frost. Then ready or not , here I come to prune down all the canes and put everyone to bed for Winter. It's so hard to cut off the beautiful little rosebuds.

No, I can't find it here in Canada. I can get it from the U.S. with $30.00 shipping. Why wouldn't I try the overhead heater...wouldn't it be just like a hot day? :)

Berrypie - good luck. :)

Let me think on the overhead heater thing. And I'll check on products like Daconil that might be in Canada. Berrypie is using the Cornell formula of baking soda and also antibacterial liquid soap. This is for powdery mildew, though. So is the milk thing, or maybe it's for blackspot. I can't remember. I'll be back. I'm making my All Saints Bean Soup, aka, 13 Bean soup. It sets you on fire on a cold day--ha. I wish I could send you and Berrypie some. Diane

I would be afraid of dessicating the canes with a heater, plus there are no instructions to follow or any way to see at what point it was helping, if at all, and at what point it was hurting the plants.

I totally agree., Magpie. And I've been checking various fungicides, including copper types (Bonide), Captain Jack's, etc. I think Daconil is the best with the most effective ingredients. The others either aren't systemic, or aren't as effective against both downy and powdery mildew. Daconil works as a contact fungicide which then moves in systemically through the plant. Uniform spray coverage is essential. Spray outside, protect eyes, wear long sleeves and pants. I'd wear a mask. This info is from the EPA, the US Environmental Protection Agency. Carol, I'd pay the money for shipping and get the best. Do it quickly or it will be too cold to spray outside. Diane

Okay, I ordered it. :) Thanks!

Growing roses is not for the faint hearted.

You'd better believe it. Some deer just ate every bud off my Angel Face last night. That rose has had such a struggle this year, and was growing next to Young Lycidas, full of blooms, but not bothered by the varmint. It does seem that you can't win at times, doesn't it, Carol? I hope the Daconil works for you fast. I also hope you have enough left over for any problems next year. I pay plenty for deer repellent and it doesn't always work, but what can you do? I'm pulling for you and your roses. Diane

Temos above 100F would kill most molds. However, that is not recommended to cook your roses to kill DM.

Optimum temps to grow DM: 86F very hot, too!

After further lookking st your spots, hey often end at the veins. Looks like DM.

Davonil is recommended & effective. It does slow or stop DM for my roses. I just ordered more on Amazon. I follow the American Rose Society’s suggestion which was Daconil & always use it. I tried organics w/ limited success. Daconil is great!

Diane, Excellent research on Daconil! Yes, it is systenic, great for Downy Mildew!

Carol, Have fun cleaning up your plants & spraying! I sprayed today and have more Daconil coming-will spray a few front yard roses on Monday & clean-up leaves. Soooo much fun! Lol! Feels good to take care of my roses! Little TLC!

Berry, Love your spa treatment on Rouge Royal! Niiiiiceeeeee!!!!!

Rosecanadian, Previcure Energy is relatively safe, used a lot in protecting vegetables. Waiting time ( when its safe to eat) after applying to crop is 1-3 days. If you can buy it Canada, you may want to go with it. Its hard to find in US.

https://assets.ctfassets.net/l2hapltrg3cz/4LYNy7oBFnaOc9iglCBwfd/13fc4124445ab7323d3b6003ecae0311/previcur-energy.pdf

Now it’s time to enjoy our fall thread, what blooms we have left, yummy fall treats and fall decor! Woohoo!

Diane, your soup sounds better than my lentils.

Milk spray alternated with baking soda is like chicken soup for the sick roses . It works in my yard much better than any of the chemical treatments the roses used to get. I hope you find a quick effective cure for your roses Carol.

Yesterday I noticed hoards of aphids - it seems odd for this time of year, but over Summer there has been a major absence of beneficial insects to dine here.

Kitty, have you ever tried pumpkin ice cream ? It's only available once a year , I need start hunting for it or make my own.

Floret sent me an email for another mini course about dahlias. I was going to watch it tonight but think we will just go to bed.

Sweet Dreams Everyone.

Diane - thanks for the offer of soup. :) :) I'm too fussy to eat beans/lentils. LOL But, I'm glad you thought of me. Oh, your poor Angel Face...with its ultra deep lavender colored petals. Rotten deer! Yes, I bought 2 containers. Here's the question though...do I spray with just a little spray bottle? I don't think I want to buy a huge spray thing you wear on your back.

Kitty - thanks for the extra research. :) I still feel horrid thinking about the DM all over my roses and about spraying. How do I use it? As a soil drench...I'm hoping...because I don't want to spray.

Elena - darn...I've already paid for the Daconil from the U.S. I wrote the name down in my book in case I run out of the Daconil next year. Thanks. :)

Berrypie - and baking soda and milk works for downy mildew?

Oh, and what kind of mask do you use when spraying?

And I should spray (drench would be preferable) after the bees are in bed for the evening. Although there are VERY few bees left now, so maybe that doesn't matter.

I lost a Lamarque to DM a few years ago. It was attacked in the Fall, and went from full vigor to steadily downhill to putting it out of it's misery.

Mild treatments do not work for Downy Mildew.

Sheila did you use Daconil? Yeah, I won't use anything home made.

I tried Daconil, Carol, but I think I was too late. It is worth a try for sure. A drench could work.

My other roses did not get the DM thankfully.

Carol, yes, Downy Mildew is much more serious than, say, powdery mildew, from what I've read. Just like Sheila said--mild treatments don't work. It's not a surface issue alone. See what the directions say on the container, but the EPA said uniform spray coverage is essential. This is after the leaves have been removed, of course. So I'm not sure a drench would work as well. If you have the proper gloves, you can use a spray bottle, I would think. Use one of those throw away covid masks. I've got them around everywhere, so many places were giving them away here. How long will it take to get the Daconil? Diane

Sheila - I have soooo many with DM and they've had it for soooo long. Ugh. I'm trying to tell myself what's the worst thing that can happen...and the worst thing is that my roses die and I buy new ones. My husband says that our budget doesn't matter for this. So, I'm trying to calm down.

Diane - it's on the way right now...I think it's 3 days. We're getting some weather in the 20sC/70sF and then more rain after a few days of the 70s. A hard frost seems a long way away. I'll use it as soon as I get it and then a week later, etc.

What if my roses die...should I get rid of all the soil in the pot? I'm thinking that if a rose dies, I should just leave it outside over winter and that will kill the DM in the soil.

This is from The American Rose Society... hungry plants are more susceptible to downy mildew. Which is why I think that my roses were susceptible this year and only this year...with the pH down from constant rain watering, the roses couldn't absorb nutrients. I'm really crossing my fingers that DM will not bother my roses next year. Puhlease!

Carol, can you remind me why you're convinced that the pH of your water is the culprit? Did you ever test the water pH?

Carol, I think I have a few roses which have DM, on only top leaves. Some varieties get it more than others I wouldn’t worry. I’ll just clean-up the leaves. Mix the concentrated Daconil & soray on leaves, stems, and soil . Leave them out to have a few cold weeks of freezes-they get 20F for you for awhile before you out them in garage-that will kill DM, good! Fertilize them good in the spring. Give them all a little new top soil for nutrition each spring and your organic fertilizers! They will bounce back beautifully!

On the other hand…. if you or I loose a couple roses…..then we can enjoy buying new roses!!! How many new roses would we both love?????!!!!!!!! I keep seeing Japanese roses I love!!!!! However, fish fertilizer and good soil works wonders to rejuvenate!!! I am not planning on loosing any! They are nurtured too much in my garden! You, too!

Spraying is a piece of cake. Mix the concentrate couple caps with water. I just used a small kitchen sprayer, hit all the leaves and top of soil on about 50 rises & more to do this weekend, Lol! Daconil doesn’t go in the air bothering me at all.w/ a sm sprayer. Spray on non-windy days. Quickly soray! Done! Then enjoy your garden. (Easy process with a sm sprayer.) No worries! Enjoy the sunshine! It’s a beautiful day!

Put out your Fall decor and lets make some pumpkin or apple pie! Take photos of your blooms! Mmmmmm …. pretty sunshine!

Magpie - no, I didn't test the pH of the rainwater I have stored. :) I'm just convinced that low pH is causing this because this is the big thing that has changed. The weather has always been the same, except that we're dryer now. I'm probably wrong...but there it is. lol

Kitty - Thanks for calming me down. :) :) I'm going to take the leaves off first since I have to do that for the garage anyway. Still a miserable day outside, so I'll wait until Wednesday as it's going to rain today and on Tuesday. Plus, I don't have the spray yet. LOL

Magpie - I got an alert that you posted something, but I can't see it here...I saw in the alert that you're concerned about me using the heater on them...you've all convinced me not to do that. :)

Carol,

You’re Welcome! Wonderful! Now-Enjoy the sunshine when it comes! It’s a beautiful fall!

Yes, we're going to have some beautiful weather. :)

Late to the discussion here, but last year my beautiful oak-leaved hydrangeas were suddenly dying a horrible death. Nursery thought the epic rains had soaked the soil such that they weren't getting enough drainage (right up next to the house, no where for water to go, really). Recommended Daconill. I sprayed twice, 2 weeks apart. The creeping illness stopped. But the plants were damaged deep down. Hoping this next year when I trim everything off new growth will sprout from the base again. I only had one good year with them! First year very small, 2nd year took off, beginning of 3rd year got drowned. So maybe this year they have good roots and will be fantastic. (I guess all gardeners are optimists...speaking of which, my friend was grading a student paper, and one of the lines read, "your words have sparked an optimist within me." We have no idea what that means, really.

And speaking of student papers. Another colleague sent me this: https://brettjtalley.com/2011/11/30/the-56-bestworst-analogies-written-by-high-school-students/

Deborah, was the student addressing his teacher in the essay? I think it's a very good line. As for the analogies, if the assignment was to write the worst, most over the top analogies, then yes, they were pretty good. Some were just overkill, though, and not that funny. You seem to be hunting up old seasonal threads, and I'm just following you to see what's going on, I guess. Carry on. Oh, and I hope your hydrangea has made a recovery for the next season. Could you move it to a spot with better drainage? I've debated for years about growing hydrangeas because I don't think our climate is very good for them. Diane

I got some weird notifications from Houzz. I think Susan did, too. I guess glitches. The student paper was from an assignment where they had to write a letter in a genre addressed to someone. Vague enough for you? But not a direct letter to the professor. The analogies sent to me (which I've seen before) just make me laugh. Though I think some are quite clever (and I doubt they were written by high school students? maybe I'm selling them short). Thanks for following me around ! :-D I had my post-op appt and my doctor told me to SLOW DOWN. She also prescribed a foot massage (!). So I'm hunkered down. Although now I think I will go in search of snacks.

Deborah - yes, I really hope that your hydrangeas delight you next year! :) :) Oh, I loved those terrible analogies. Several were very, very funny...especially: The ballerina rose gracefully en pointe and extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.

I snorted quite loudly over that one like a ... :) :) I'm too tired to think of a bad analogy to go with that. lol

Good that you're going to slow down. A foot massage...go for a full body one at a spa!! :) :) Doctor's orders. :) :) You may even be able to use it for taxes.