Can you post a link to a few pictures? It sounds like rust, among other
things. NO detectable nitrogen? They are starving. The blood meal is great,
but your soil needs more than that...like aged compost, and lots of it for a
continual feed. I'd add several bags of potting soil from your local garden
center to the existing soil, and carefully (to avoid damaging the roots) mix
it in. Throw in whatever bits of old yard debris you may have, such as leaf
litter, and some well aged bagged manure. You need to build up your soil to
provide a fertile ground for hungry roots. Also, be sure you have good
drainage; this can cause some of your symptoms. Roses hate to sit in soggy
soil.

The black bud sounds like a fungal infection, for which there are many good
sprays. But if your plants are that badly stressed, they may not survive. If
not, dig them up, and amend your soil before putting anything else in.

When adding the nutrients to your garden, an important part of the mixture
is the beneficial bacteria and fungi that help your plants break down the
available nutrients into a usable form. These creatures may not have
established themselves in your newly amended soil yet, so you should "seed"
it. You can order beneficial fungal "innoculants" from several ereputable
online rose and garden retailers.


Scopata Fuori