Iris Cohen wrote:

There is probably no really effective organic control for black spot. Hybrid
tea roses & their ilk require a lot of chemical controls. I use Rose and Flower
granules for systemic insecticide, which avoids insecticide spraying, but you
just have to spray for black spot. It is not that dangerous if you just keep
the kids & the pets away while you are actually spraying. If you are too
fearful, grow something else.
Iris,

This is such nonsense, I hardly know what to say! Chemicals are NOT required to
have well grown and healthy roses and the advocation of any systemic rose product
is just plain silly, if not downright dangerous. The active ingredient in most
sytemic rose products is disulfoton, which is extremely toxic to mammals (and last
I knew, you were included in that category!) through all avenues of exposure -
inhalation, skin exposure or ingestion.

There are a number of very effective organic, low toxicity controls for rose
fungal problems including the Cornell University formula of baking soda, water and
a few drops of a surfactant like dish soap or salad oil; sulfur; and Neem oil. Even
plain old insecticidal soap can prevent the development of fungal problems but will
not control them once they appear.

Iris, you simply have to move into the 21st century - it is irresponsible and
dangerous and does the newsgroup readers a huge disservice to continually tout the
use of chemical pesticides when other means of remedy are available.

pam - gardengal