Question
I was even two beautiful Knockout roses last year in July in memory of my husband.  I was so proud of the two rose bushes and they bloomed beautifully until fall.  They started out with healthy buds and blooms.  The first sign of a problem was about a month ago when I was some of the leaves turning brown.  I sprayed the roses with Daconil, a fungicide spray.  I also removed the leaves with the black spots and destroyed them.  I asked a friend about my problem and she suggested I use dishwashing detergent and water and spray the leaves.  I did this a week ago today and by this past Monday almost every leaf was covered in black spots.  Now I have two rose bushes, one with not one leaf and one with nine leaves.  What can I do for them?  I live in Knoxville, TN and we have had quiet alot of rain.  If you recommend spraying and there is lots of rain, do I spray again?  Please help me.  These two bushes are very special to me and I don't want to lose them especially a year later.  Many thanks for any help you can give to me.

Answer
Daconil is a strong fungicide and can't be used when the weather is hot as it will damage the rose bush. Then putting another chemical on top of Daconil will put the rose under stress and be susceptible to Black Spot as it has become weakened. And as you already know, lots of rain also certainly doesn't help. I wouldn't use any more sprays on the roses let them have a rest and get their strength back. The Black Spot won't kill them just cause a slowness in growth. Also roses can put out at least three sets of leaves before it weakens the plant. Don't panic even if all the leaves fall off as they are going to grow again and this time they will be healthier.  I have good success with using Alfalfa Meal as a sort of tonic for roses so if you can get some at a garden center or farm and feed ( make sure that is  isn't rabbit alfalfa food as it has salt in it) and sprinkle a couple of handfuls all around the base of the rose bushes. Knock Out roses are really tough roses and will take a lot of abuse so be patient and they will grow naturally for you.