I described this very thing last year I think and I never did get any information. I lost an immense Souvenir d'un Ami several years ago and about a year later a large Mons. Tillier and a gargantuan Volkswagen VW sized Garibaldi--possibly my favorite rose in the garden. Because of the proximity of these roses and the fact that they came from different dealers I think the disease is soil borne and most likely a fungus. Since you are in very roughly my part of the country, I'll bet its the same thing. It definitely takes off in hot weather and I believe it pre-existed any of these roses in the soil because I remember very early on in the history of this garden having a vintage g. rose in a small pot do exactly this the summer after I planted it in this--I'm guessing--contaminated strip of land that passes perpendicularly through my double border. I think of it as some sort of root rot though I have zero reason for thinking so. This spring I treated the soil in that area with something like tetrachlor which we use to slow down iris diseases in the soil. Then I planted a couple of Austins on fortuniana root stock. They have been vigorous and have no sign of disease. Only time will tell. I really worry about the other large roses in that vicinity. Is your soil sandy? We are across the street from the Arkansas river and consequently our soil is sandy river loam. Anyway, if you ever find a name for the disease let me know. Good Luck, Rinaldo

... after two dry years and the winter we just had, there are lots of things that did not make it ... too bad it didn't take out the knockout rose. it is pretty but I loathe dealing with it, even with gloves ... dkB

I tend to agree, nik, and I don't use mulch -- too much of a hinderance with the type of irrigation I use, not congruent with this climate, and, most likely, not water-conserving enough to offset the downsides (and effort!) of using it. At some point I do need to seek out the literature on this question and try to justify this personal prejudice of mine... My own Armillaria disaster didn't involve mulch, but root contact with a decaying stump that was infected with it, then root-to-root transmission through the rest of the bed, aided and abetted by irrigation.

Carla, I am 6A NY, but I didnt have -10F, but came close to it. It was a cold winter, but it gets that cold in zone 6A. I had a lot of roses loose about 2/3 of canes pruned back, almost all were 5 ft. I do look for hardy varieties. I orune them all to almost 3 ft in fall & then prune them in spring to 1-2 feet. Tall 5 ft canes do get hit hsrd by freezing winds so they are pruned fown in fall. Location is everything, though though, not just plant zone. Where are you located? You sound like the tupical zone 6A NY winter, same as me? Oh, Mass-I realize the smow kept melting here in NY, too too-so no snow cover for roses.But no snow usually when it was warmer. Anyway Anyway, Mass is little colder than my NY Fingerlakes area. Some years just colder than others. I lost a couple roses & one is an inch tall. It happens. Use really good organic soil, cow manure and fish fertilizer and Rose tone for best jump start. I found weekly fish fertilizer really regenerates them. I do monthly fish fertilizer if they are doing fine. Our roses in NE states don’’t grow as fast as Diane’s in Idaho with her hot summer sun, but you will have 5 ft roses again if you use the fertilizers I suggested. Mine all are 5 ft or taller eventually! Covering with burlap the weaker ones or new ones for winter helos. I had much healthier roses this spring than ever, even though the coldest winter, I covered many w/ burlap and super energized them with fish fertilizer much of the season & Rose Tone & “lush new organic soils just before winter.“ And they are all leafed out-looking great & growing faster than usual; although we also had sone warm 80F weather recently, too too, Lol! I had a couple low prunes to 6 inches, 1 all the way down to two inches, and the rest I pruned to 2-3 ft & Pimponella is 4ft. We are having rain, 74F today! Great for roses growth & my new grass seed!