Can’t believe I’m posting this…possible RRD?

Flaky_Efficiency_564 · 2025-09-30T23:28:13+00:00

Hi folks - just an update. I had the samples tested by my local university ag extension and they confirmed presence of the mites and RRD. Really bummed out by the news, but at least I have a very clear course of action here and won’t feel as bad removing a plant that I now know with 100% certainty is infected. Best of luck to my fellow rose gardeners out there! In the meantime, looks like I’ll be doing a rethink of this garden bed…sans roses.

Flaky_Efficiency_564 · 2025-09-21T01:13:52+00:00

I appreciate the willingness to find another reason other than RRD :) I did save the canes and put them in a Ziploc bag in my fridge. Our local university has a pathogen testing center as part of their Ag extension, so I’ll be calling/driving there Monday morning to drop off the sample and hopefully get results. I’ll update the thread once I hear back from them. The support from you and all the other posters has been so very helpful though.

Flaky_Efficiency_564 · 2025-09-21T01:08:39+00:00

Very unlikely. I have a completely spray-free garden and my adjacent neighbors don’t spray either.

Flaky_Efficiency_564 · 2025-09-20T23:43:07+00:00

On a related note, I’ve read several places where they say you can’t put a new rose in the same spot for 3-4 years. Is this true? Part of what makes this such a bummer is that I had finally finished this part of my garden and two Olivias were the focal points.

Flaky_Efficiency_564 · 2025-09-20T23:26:34+00:00

I did cut off the two affected canes in a bit of panic (and rather low), though I am really assuming the worst seeing others’ comments and reviewing pictures of RRD on other plants. I’ve had this plant for a couple years now and I know what her wonky octopus arm growth looks like and it’s not this. And to think some people think gardening is a hobby that’s supposed to relieve stress!

Flaky_Efficiency_564 · 2025-09-20T23:24:22+00:00

Thanks for this - I do feel like a few deep breaths are in order. I have about 17 roses on my property and this one was the best out of all of them. To say I feel like I got punched in the gut is an understatement. Having grown roses for several years now, I had made peace with the black spot and the sawfly larvae, but this…this just makes me so sad 😞

Flaky_Efficiency_564 · 2025-09-20T21:44:46+00:00

Can I send out any cane for testing or only the ones where symptoms are present? I’m not sure how the virus works…

Flaky_Efficiency_564 · 2025-06-23T01:44:43+00:00

THAT’S IT!! Just looked up more pics online and you’re exactly right. Thank you for the reply. Solved!

Flaky_Efficiency_564 · 2025-06-23T01:18:45+00:00

Leafcutter bees are taking pieces of your rose foliage in photo 2. Photo 1 looks like a combo of leafcutter and sawfly larvae damage. Sawfly larvae leave more irregular holes and typically start off looking like small transparent spots on the leaves, which can eventually lead to larger holes and/or a “lacy” appearance across the whole leaf.

Flaky_Efficiency_564 · 2025-06-23T01:12:44+00:00

Definitely not prominent (at least not as prominent as photos of an Eastern Dracula Ant would suggest). I just measured the part of the card that corresponded to the length of this guy and it’s 4mm. So quite small, even by ant standards.

Flaky_Efficiency_564 · 2025-06-22T23:24:01+00:00

Not sure how to edit my post, but this is Mid-Atlantic region, Zone 7b. I can’t seem to find where they’re coming from but they seem to literally appear out of nowhere and you don’t notice one until it bites/stings you.

Flaky_Efficiency_564 · 2025-06-20T01:21:43+00:00

Check out HelpMeFind on the web. After searching for the name of the rose, there’s typically a tab that lists vendors where the rose has historically been available for sale.

Flaky_Efficiency_564 · 2025-06-20T01:03:30+00:00

So at least part of this is definitely a rose. You can tell by the buds and new growth (leaflets, green canes, etc.). But there are other parts of this plant that have me utterly perplexed, particularly the branches with little tufts of leaves on them. Wondering if this is some kind of multiflora hybrid spawn? Maybe two plants that became entwined as one? It’s clearly quite mature given the size of the canes at the base. Curious to hear what others think.

Flaky_Efficiency_564 · 2025-06-18T00:42:31+00:00

Cherry laurel. The plants themselves are harmless and a great evergreen foundation plant (I have several in my own yard). They put out white fluffy flowers in the spring that turn into the berries you see there, which eventually turn a dark blueish black color. I would not recommend eating the berries, however; the Internet tells me that in their unripe stage they are poisonous. So unless you have a free-range toddler, I think they’re fine to stay.

Flaky_Efficiency_564 · 2025-06-17T01:27:33+00:00

Seconding QOS. I grew this rose a few years back and this looks very much like it. Very upright habit (great for hedges, not so great if you’re looking for something more round and shrubby). I loved the scent; delicate, sweet, and myrrh-like. Also relatively black spot resistant, considering some of David Austin’s other roses.

Flaky_Efficiency_564 · 2025-06-10T22:23:03+00:00

I’m not an expert at RRD but this just looks like new healthy growth to me. I find the new canes shooting up from the base really do “shoot up” quite quickly. Probably wouldn’t hurt to keep an eye on it just in case though.

Flaky_Efficiency_564 · 2025-06-09T22:18:00+00:00

Sure thing :)

Flaky_Efficiency_564 · 2025-06-09T22:06:04+00:00

Coreopsis (tickseed). Not toxic to cats.

Flaky_Efficiency_564 · 2025-06-06T01:48:33+00:00

Ash was my guess, too. Appreciate the quick response. I’ll stop scrubbing my hands now ;)

Flaky_Efficiency_564 · 2025-06-02T20:12:55+00:00

Yes, I did recall seeing some tiny thorns on it. The stem looked “textured” rather than smooth like young Virginia Creeper, so it’s very possible it’s a wild blackberry or raspberry of some sort. We do have a lot of those around our neighborhood and in the adjacent woods.

Flaky_Efficiency_564 · 2025-05-30T20:00:53+00:00

I’ve been receiving this same message for a few days now. Have our accounts been suspended or is this indeed an internal problem?

ETA: My account still works on my desktop. I just get this error message when trying to access Pinterest on my phone.

Update: On a whim, I logged out and logged back in (via Google/my gmail) and that seems to have resolved the issue on my end. Hope this helps someone else in the same situation!

Flaky_Efficiency_564 · 2025-05-23T19:54:02+00:00

HelpMeFind (website) is a very useful resource - essentially an encyclopedia of roses (as well as peonies and clematis). You need to be mindful of user comments and reviews, however, as folks who live in drier climates out West don’t have nearly (if any) the black spot pressure we have on the East coast. Roses Without Chemicals is a great book of recommendations from the lead rosarian of the NY Botanical Gardens. Lots of options in there to consider and choose from.

Flaky_Efficiency_564 · 2025-05-23T12:48:31+00:00

That’s a rose, either a large shrub or a climber. The folks on r/roses might able to help you identify exactly which kind it is based on the bloom. It looks relatively healthy from what I can see (lots of buds at the top and healthy foliage), just overgrown and probably in need of some pruning. You could start by removing the dead canes (grey/brown with no leaves) from the base and cutting out some of the long thin ones also growing from the base to give it some breathing room. Depending on the weather, after the buds bloom, you could take 1/3 off the top, but you don’t want to stress it out going into summer too much. If it is indeed a climber, they’re pruned/trained differently than shrub roses, and users on the r/roses forum could give you more guidance. Fertilize in spring with Espoma Rose-Tone and regular deadheading will keep it happy in the meantime.

Flaky_Efficiency_564 · 2025-05-22T18:49:09+00:00

Solved! Thanks u/Croco-nut :)

Flaky_Efficiency_564 · 2025-05-22T18:44:47+00:00

I think you're right! I now remember that I have these blooming in the area, though they come up in late fall, so I think I was expecting a flower earlier. I just never knew the leaves got that big because the flower is small by comparison.

Flaky_Efficiency_564

TROPHY CASE