In article et, "Arlene
says...

I am a recent (one year) addict to roses. I sprayed with funginex because
my nursery connection said it was better for blackspot, rust, etc. Now my
leaves are being eaten alive. Should I be using othonex instead of
fungonex, and how often do I need to spray? Only did it once in the spring,
and they are all still pretty disease free. Most of the problems are with
lover leaves turning yellow/brown. I have LOTS of butterflies. I heard they
lay their eggs on the underside of the leaves so the newborns can eat when
they hatch. Please help with bug problems and spraying questions. Thanks



Orthenex is actually a combination of two Ortho products....
Isotox (for insect control) and Funginex (for fungus control). The mixture in
Orthenex is only half strength of the two. When I used Isotox, I had no (and I
mean NO) insect problems!

Isotox is an 8% solution of an ingredient called Acephate (in Orthenex it is
diluted to 4%). Funginex is a 6.5% solution of an ingredient called Triforine
(in Orthenex it's diluted to 3.25%). The only reason I now use Orthenex is that
I got a bottle as a gift (it's really expensive). It makes it convenient to
combat both insects and fungus using only one spray can. The only problem I've
had with it is when I sprayed some roses I had transplanted earlier in the day
and the leaves died (the stems remained green). I should have waited several
weeks for the roses to regain their strength after the transplanting. I spray
it every 2 weeks.

My Ortho rose book states that rose leaves turning yellow is a symptom of oxygen
starvation. Roses get their oxygen from the soil via their roots. The book
states that overwatering can cause the soil to become muddy which makes it
impossible for the roots to get the needed oxygen....hence the yellow leaves.
Maybe you should reduce your watering on a trial basis to see if it improves.

Just my 2 cents worth. Only been at it a year.

elfa

zone 9 (north of San Francisco with hot dry summers)