Help
My antique roses are loaded with buds and have been very healthy. However, I guesss because of all the rain, some of them now have leaves that are curling. There are no brown edges, just curling inward along the length of the leaves. Is this really bad? What should I do. I never spray or use insecticide. This has just happend over the past week or so. Thanks for any advise and help. BB

You must be in the Metroplex, with mention of "all that rain" :-) Hasn't it been awful?
Get out the magnifying glass and check for thrips - tiny white critters,,, or check for white powdery looking stuff that might be mildew.

Anyone have any other ideas?

Probably a small sap sucking insect. (Wow say that fast after a couple of beers!) Could be any one of many. Or as Maggie suggested it could be mildew.

If it is mildew, which it might be, can I just cut off affected parts? I would rather not use chemicals as I have many ladybugs and butterflies. Yes, I live in Fort Worth.
BB

Just cutting the bits off sure wouldn't help Barry - it would continue to spread to new growths. Here is Gail's favorite organic treatment.

"Add 1 tablespoon of baking soda plus 1 tablespoon of non-phosphate soap (such as Palmolive) to a gallon of water and spray on foliage in the morning or early evening. Repeat spray in seven days until resolved."

There was an awful disease going around these parts a few years ago, that caused new leaves to be far more red than healthy ones and they never developed fully - just stayed kinda stunted and curly. Hope you don't have that. Think it was called Rosette disease. A tiny insect was the culprit carrier. The infected stems would have extra amounts of thorns than the healthy parts and sometimes grow twisted. The remedy was to cut off all signs of bad parts - all the way down to the ground. And if that didn't stop the plant from continuing to produce new affected stems, the plant had to be disposed of. Some folks recommended disposing of any plants at first sign.
But don't go ripping them out until a disease is confirmed! I doubt you have it Berry, but wanted to mention the prob on this thread about curled rose leaves. You could check with the county extension office or good nursery or botanic gardens if I have you all worried now. (sorry :-)

This from guest book,,
Any ideas on getting rid of rossette disease on my antique roses?
Nancy Rash, Burleson, TX USA -

Best I know about it Nancy, is in the above note. And these are the only pics I have of it on file. Bad focus, but right colors.

Might try spreading cornmeal (yes, from the kitchen) around the roots and water it in. I would do this every week and a half to two weeks for a couple of months. Of course, you may have already resolved the problem by now. I've been out of town a lot lately and way behind on the forum.

Yep, that looks like the photos of rosette disease I have found on-line. I keep hearing that it is systemic from a tiny insect that gets in the stem junctions. From a little research I have found that pecans trees can get it too and that zinc sulfate can be sprayed on trees to help. I haven't tried it on my roses yet. So far I have dug up 2 rose bushes but I now have it on 2 more bushes. I have cut those way back where the "witches broom" is evident. Surely someone can develop a cure.

I wonder if someone at Tex A&M is working on a cure? Might be worth a call, or the several it would take to find the right person to talk to about it. If you do unearth any new developements Nancy, we would love to hear about it here. Thanks oxxoxo