Did you ask whether a herbicide product was used?

http://home.roadrunner.com/~kuska/rose_rosette_disease_virus.htm

Here is a link that might be useful: link for above

I would talk to them in person, and give them a card listing the phone number of the nearest consulting rosarian or extension office.

Anyone who has left the roses more than likely is not aware of the effects of Round Up.

I would also be prepared for them to do nothing. No other disease that I know of is like RRD, and the listener will more than likely smile, but think you are rather hysterical.

Sammy

In Nashville Dr. Alan Windham who is a plant pathologist with the State Ag Department has been working with his brother, Dr. Mark Windham, on RRv on the grant sponsored by the American Rose Society. If they blow you off, suggest they contact him.

From what I've seen in and around Knoxville, the sickness gets worse on Knockouts, and the treatment/pruning that they get can accelerate death. With crappy care, the disease seems to survive for at least three years on KOs.

We did watch it on Nearly Wilds up in Harrogate Tennessee and it spread much more slowly in those bushes and they lasted five years before all canes were sick.

It will be interesting over in Asheville NC to see how long the mass plantings of KO along US 25 last. A few buildings' KOs weren't sick last summer, but most were.

I can't really say about the business-end of David Austin's business nor about any other company/business, but I can say that to me, Austin roses are NOT " those bloated and frilly monsters." They are still my favorite category of roses--though I like a lot of other kinds of roses also.

Kate

Susan I think death takes a few years. The ones in downtown Franklin that I was watching were going on 3 years before they finally dug them out because they got so ugly. The multiflora seem to hang on for a least that long as well.

I've linked a story that was circulating locally last year. It might help you with your neighbor.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mid Tn RRD story