On Tue, 03 Jun 2003 05:21:42 GMT, Jonathan Ball
wrote:

I went in search of some info on Ortho Rose Pride
(formerly Funginex), and naturally stumbled onto
something even more interesting. It's a page from that
well known publicity hound, New York State Attorney
General Eliot Spitzer, about the supposedly "inert"
ingredients in insecticides, fungicides and
rodenticides. It's useful information

http://www.oag.state.ny.us/press/rep...de_inerts.html

"Inert" doesn't mean what a lot of consumers frequently
assume: that it is not toxic to humans. In fact, not
only are many of the ingredients toxic to humans, they
are toxic to various pests as well; just not the ones
the manufacturer is targeting with the product.

If by "Rose Pride" you mean that granular stuff that is a combination
fertilizer and pesticide, I have never used that. Compared to the
spray concentrate it is much more dangerous to wildlife and other yard
creatures.

In any event, if even the "inerts" bother you, why not vist the
Organic Rose Growing forum at Gardenweb. They will give you all sorts
of recipes for lumpy stuff that is, in my opinion, better left in the
kitchen. Much depends on where you are. If you are in a warmer, drier
place you might be able to get away with less. Here, if left untreated
or treated with ineffective means, blackspot will defoliate my roses
and weaken them until they die.



Anyway, if someone can tell me a cheaper but effective
substitute for Rose Pride, I'd be appreciative. I'm
getting tired of paying $16.00 at Home Depot for it; I
can only imagine what the stuff costs at some smaller
garden centers.

There is no cheaper, effective substitute that would not have those
inert ingredients that you object to. Orthenex is what I use every ten
days here in my NC garden, and it works well on both sucking and
chewing insects and all fungal disease. However, its erts and inerts
are things you will object to.