Carola's Alberta Garden 2019: Rose Rust Problem

Morden Centennial Rose earlier in July

We have a large number of wild roses on our properly, most of which have seeded themselves, but they were quite beautiful she they were in full bloom in early July! We have a huge rose problem this year, though. I noticed a lot of bright fluorescent splotches on the leaves and I Googled it on the computer to see if I could find out what it is. Apparently it is a type of Rose Rust fungus, not the usual under the leaf tiny spots, but a different variety. The splotches were also on my Morden rose bushes and even on some of the flower buds of my Morden Blush! We certainly are getting a lot of rain this summer so I think that might be reason for the rust problem.

I pinched off or clipped off many of the affected leaves and buds. Then my husband and I trimmed many of the wild row bushes which are growing around the flower beds. We lugged the branches and leaves into the back of the truck where we took them to the burn pile at the county dump in rider not to spread the fungus.

Morden Sunrise had no rust thankfully but I sprayed it anyway

I bought a spray bottle of fungicide and sprayed all my domestic rose bushes as well as any nearby wild ones. Mother nature will have to take care of the wild roses that are affected in the environmental areas around our acreage and along the trail to the lake. Many of them have dropped yellow leaves already (which are the result of the rust.) The internet indicated that a sulphur based fungicide would do the trick or a product called Melobutanil. They bushes need to be sprayed in spring and summer particularly the lower leaves and branches. I will have to remember to diligently check the rose bushes and maybe spray them again in a couple of weeks and again in the spring.

My Morden roses were looking incredibly beautiful before this hail storm last Wednesday (July 18/ 2012). They had tall stems of multiple blossoms and I wish I would have gotten some photos before the hail! They lost most of the blossoms but they will likely recover, weather permitting.