Cass wrote:
In article , Susan
Solomon wrote:

Greetings, fellow rose-lovers I have a problem and a question. This
year I was late in pruning. (2-15-03 ... very late here in Santa
Barbara, where it never freezes, and where our city rose garden is
pruned on 1-15) And unfortunately, I didn't dormant-spray
immediately after I pruned the roses. I did defoliate all of them
after pruning, and raked up the leaves. Well, now my beauties are
bursting with vigorous new leafy growth and buds ... and rust!!!

.... Any other ideas or suggestions?


.... My personal approach is to put up with it or yank them.

Susan, on the rare occasion I have had to battle with rust (it is
usually in El Nino years when I have been lax about pruning), my
approach has been also what Cass suggests. Out here, in the dryish part
of Santa Clara County, this approach works. After all, we have such a
long growing season - and you even longer than we do - that the roses
seem to shake off the rust and go their merry way soon enough if I yank
all the rusted leaves. A little patience, that is all it seems to take,
and I prefer that to the alternatives.



--
Radika
California
USDA 9 / Sunset 15