"JimS." wrote:

Cass, Allegra,

One of my potted roses got something just like this picture, last year.
The poor thing looked like it had leprosy, and it dropped all its leaves,
every one of them. I might add that this was a cheapie rose too, so it was
likely questionable from the start--anyway, it didn't die (though it looked
like it was going to). The affliction didn't look like anything in any of
my books, so I had no idea what to do. Out of desperation, I took a tube of
bacitracin antibiotic ointment and slathered it all up and down all the
canes. It hung on. It came back. It leafed out all over again, healthy
even. Bloomed all summer, very fragrent too. That rose didn't go dormant
all winter (well, Seattle winter this year was nothin'), and it even BLOOMED
right after New Years. Right now, that bush is so leafed out and so
healthy, I've got to actually thin the leaves for air circulation. Compact,
but bushy as all get-out. And, interestingly enough, the canes STILL have
that mottled purplish blotching. Some of the woodier canes have white-ish
patches on them. But it looks totally healthy, and not one single leave has
a speck of blackspot or mildew. Healthiest leaves I've ever seen on any of
my plants, no joke.

I'm not sure if your plants have the same thing mine did, and I'm not sure
if the ointment did it, but hey-- it's worth a try.

JimS.
Seattle

Hello Jim,

I am not all that surprised since most fungal diseases can be contained with
Bacitracin antibiotic USP (the equivalent of Neosporin) and in just one rose
it is well worth the trouble and the expense. However, and here it kicks the
howevers, last year just about our entire leftover bed with the HTs that
were here were the ones infected. It was heartbreaking because about 8
feet across was our new bed with all the Austins in what we call the "nursery"
as in babies' nursery. I was petrified that we were going to lose the ones in
the pots like E.Veyrat Hermanos that was a tiny twig that has taken me
several years to get.

The problem with botrytis is that it is so darn seasonal that we only suspect it
in Fall, but I guess any wet and/or humid climate will bring it in. This is how
the canes typically look even before the blossoms show any sign at least he

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/pp/not...02/rosebbc.htm

And, interestingly enough, the canes STILL have
that mottled purplish blotching. Some of the woodier canes have white-ish
patches on them.

If the white patches are something like these patches then we are talking
powdery mildew here.

http://www.theoldrosarian.org/powderymildew.jpg

Thanks for the info, truly. I wish we could use more natural elements to cure
these plagues. But some times you just have to bring the artillery and hope the
roses will make it through. Happy to hear that in some cases, as in yours, the
soft touch works.

Allegra