Question
Hi-I have had roses for several years with no serious problems but this year I
have a big problem. I have about 12 different bushes spread throughout my
yard and they are all dying. They started out fine this spring and even
bloomed once but they started looking bad and now all the leaves are dying
and the roses aren't blooming. I have tried spraying them with different
things and nothing has worked. I trimmed them back but they aren't coming
out of it. I am very sad and disappointed. They look really awful. Help. Teri

Answer
Because the problem has spread to all of your roses in the garden it isn't something you are doing but probably a weather problem. You don't say where your garden is so I will have to take a guess at what the problem is. When rose started acting sick, never use a spray on them as this can compound the problem. Sprays get into the sap of the rose and will add to their stress. Spraying sounds like a good idea but it really isn't. Rose leaves die for a couple of reasons. If it is the weather then the spring was fine and suddenly there was high heat or the roses are not getting enough water to compensate for the heat.  Plants don't just die, especially if they have done well in the spring. It is something that happened after that which is causing the problem. Even a neighbor using a herbicide spray  and the drift can cause trouble for rose leaves. This is about all I can come up with regarding your information. If you could tell me some more information such as the colour of the rose leaves before they died, weather conditions, and even the sprays that you used, I may be able to pinpoint it better for you.