HelpfulGardener.com

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A lot of the new hybrids (that bloom more than once) are really prone to disease. If you have planted a rose and it is not doing well. There is no contract that you signed saying that you have to struggle with the plant. Try a different cultivar. And the heirloom varieties are full of fragrance and are very stable and resistant to disease. The same goes for a rose that struggles to exist in the garden. Get one that works.

A note on diseased roses. After removing a diseased rose from a site. There will be remnants of the diseased organism left in the soil. Therefore, another rose CANNOT be planted here ever again unless the soil is removed and replaced.

The term for this is "rose sick" soil. You can plant in the same place, as long as you have removed the old soil, and rebuilt the new soil.
There are some new incredibly strong hybrids out there these days, and they will take a lot of neglect before they start to complain!
VAL (Grandpa's Rose)

A majority of rose problems happen when the big three rules of rose growing are not followed: Full all day sun, adequate water and correct spacing for air circulation. Before one pitches a perfectly good rose that may be poorly sited I would encourage them to provide the above mentioned requirements.

One rule of thumb when purchasing roses is to find a grower in your local area or state. Northerners get into trouble when they mail order roses grown in higher zones than theirs. Most states in the midwest have at least one grower that grows only roses hardy for that state. To find these use google and type (your state) + rose growers or "rose growers".

Yellow roses do not normally do well in either bloom or overwintering in the midwest. Some nurseries refuse to carry yellow teas or floribundas. I have had sucess with my one yellow rose this year by using the humate "Rich Earth" and Espoma Rose Tone fertilizer. Along with, of course the above mentioned big three and a cover of organic mulch.

Many rose lovers may not be aware of the American Rose Society that rates every rose variety. They publish a yearly rose guide for use in purchasing roses. I have found their ratings to be mostly reliable. Visit:
www.ars.org and provide a rose its basic needs before even considering a blanket statement that if a rose isn't doing well where planted - toss it out.

If everyone who grew roses threw them out when they didn't perform to expectation, where would the roses be?

You are right about the rules of thumb for good roses, although there should be one more - ensuring there is nutrious soil! Continuing additions to the soil such as manure, compost, kelp, alfalfa meal, fish emulsion, etc. will ensure that your roses have the nutrients it needs to perform and fight the battles with pests and diseases.

Yellow roses normally do not seem to carry over very well although I have had alot of success with "Elina". Have you tried this one?
Also, you can plant a rose from any plant hardiness zone as long as you are prepared to provide the appropriate winter care required - there is more detailed information regarding this in a previous thread called "roses pruned to a nub". I have grown roses successfully in Northern Canada for 18 years, and most of them are not for my zone. If I paid attention to zones, I wouldn't have any!!
The American Rose Society is a good resource regarding rating roses, and for those who want the Canadian version, there is the Canadian Rose Society at www.canadianrosesociety.org. Both are excellent.

Great to hear from you and keep fighting for the roses!
VAL (Grandpa's Rose)

Howdy y'all

I am most impressed with the new Easy Elegance Series of roses from Ping Lim' s breeding program (when David Austin says you are the top breeder around you know you are doing something right) 'Tahitian Moon' and 'Yellow Submarine' are both yellows and the whole bunch are Zone 4 hardy (bred in Upper Michigan so I guess they really are...) Maybe try these out?

Scott