Disease resistant roses for 6b/VA? Looking for experience with some on my list, and recommendations

Starting to think about planting a few roses. I am being very picky as I don’t intend to spray (I might give them a spray a couple times a year but just don’t have time for more) and live in zone 6b north central Virginia. (Not quite as humid and wet as Richmond to coastal areas, but still quite disease prone). Looking at some old roses and some new. Curious if anyone in similar zone(s) has any experience with the following I’m considering (now and in the future):

Lafter
Mutabilis
Erfurt
Thomas Affleck
Climbing Pinkie
Kathleen (climber)
Veilchenblau
Marie Pavie
Marie Daly
Belinda’s Dream
Belinda’s Blush
Viking Queen
Poseidon
Plum Perfect
Reine des violettes
Valentine
Fields of the Wood
Magic Dragon
Quietness

Also interested in any recommendations of very fragrant disease resistant roses of any color. I love the LOOK of hybrid teas but they are too susceptible. I really like fruity scents.

Especially interested in disease resistance/susceptability of those listed but also in growth habit/size/shape as I’m trying to plan a bed. Thanks!!!

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there is an excellent database for roses … searching for the link in my archives …

If it’s Help Me Find, I’ve been reading all I can :slight_smile: I can’t afford to try out too many so i’m trying to be smart from the get-go.

Nope.

Ok, here it is. But for success, don’t jump in too fast. First notice that under “Rose Search” you can click the box for “Disease Resistance” and then click Search (top right of box) get all the roses with that property. But if you also select on Fragrance, you’ll get roses with Disease Resistance and some (non-zero) fragrance.

Now just because you are searching on their site doesn’t mean you have to order from them … for heavens sake they supply half the retail rose growers in the U.S.

Have fun!!

https://www.hortico.com/roses/roses.asp

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Of the ones on your list, Mutabilis would be your best bet for
non spray. The others will require some spraying. Keep in mind
that Mutabilis will grow into a VERY large bush and will take over
your bed as will Mrs. B.R. Cant, which I highly recommend. It’s a bullet
proof tea rose that will grow into an 8’x 8’ bloom machine. I can send
you cuttings, if you know how to root cuttings.
Fragrance is a difficult thing to assess. For most roses, fragrance varies
from time of day, weather conditions, and most of all, how strong your
smeller is.

Thanks! Mutabilis I know can get huge though I am on the upper edge of its range so not sure if it will get as big as in, say, TX. The spot I have for it is full sun (almost all day, really) so that may keep it happy. I was planning on allotting an 8 ft diameter circle for it. It is so beautiful I wanted it to be the anchor of one of my beds.

Are there any such things as fungicides I could spray a couple times early in the season but not have to spray weekly and after every rain? lol. I grew up with tea roses that defoliated with blackspot every year, but an old rambler NEVER got blackspot even in partial shade. (It was once blooming – I will consider those in the future but right now am focused on those that bloom more than once). So that’s why I’m looking at many older roses to see if I can find some that will survive my neglect. lol.

I would still suggest Mrs. B.R. Cant. But keep in mind that the
more roses you grow, the more susceptible they’ll all be to disease.
LaMarne (polyantha) would be another one that I would recommend.
I understand your desire for remontant varieties. I would never devote
space to a once blooming rose.

I’ll need to be really careful then not to bring in susceptible varieties. I wish I had the time to tend them more but I know I won’t. Spraying is very hard for me to do as I have 3 kids under age 4. Pruning and fertilizing and picking, that can be done while they play and watch (but not touch!). My husband will spray the fruit trees and the garden but if I plant flowers I think I’ll be on my own!

I have 3 double Knockouts that I bought in a fall sale and I know those will do well, but they are a bit blah for me. Mrs. B.R. Cant probably won’t make the rose bed but I appreciate you pointing it out – “she” would make a great stand alone shrub elsewhere on our property.

Knockouts are not REALLY roses, but landscape shrubs. You probably watch
the kids, when he sprays the fruit trees. Why not get him to watch them, while
you spray the roses. If you use Banner Maxx, you only have to spray every 15 days.
I only feed mine twice per year. .

I’ll check out Banner Maxx. Thanks. We like to do our edibles organic, and pest control that way to preserve the beneficials we’re trying to encourage, but I would definitely like easy on disease control for ornamentals.

My husband watches them a lot – it just seems that there are never enough hours in the day, for either of us to get our projects done. Maybe I’ll have to be content with just a few super roses :-).