Hmmmm That doesn't look good at all. I am wondering if it could be the rose disease that northspruce has mentioned.

At first I thought sunburn, but then thought not likely. Then though spider mite...maybe?

I would take that rose back to where it was bought...and get a refund.

Sierra

Did it have healthy leaves when you bought it?

Did you add any fertilize when you watered?

Looks like leaf scorch, avoid using liquid chemical fertilizers, especially on Rugosas.

I would cut off the dying leaves and see if rebounds, if not, take it back.

Sharon

Brenda, David does not look good at all. I see that you still have the covers on the pots, take them off. I'd try re potting the poor boy into potting soil. That is the first thing that I do when I bring roses home from chain stores. They probably are potted in peat moss and bark. Which tend to soak up the water. Maybe you are drowning him. One of my roses last year was in a low spot and constantly wet. The leaves looked alot like yours does.
I agree prune him back a bit, but don't cut off all the leaves.
When I fertilize Rugosa's, I use an organic fertilizer. They tend not to be as strong.

Shelley

I agree that it could be drowning or fertilizer damage. It doesn't look like Rose Mosaic Virus, which is usually more subtle, nor Rose Rosette Disease, which first causes strange growth patterns and stem colour before the leaves die off. It also looks like Round Up damage, but I'm sure it's not given the health of the other roses.

Whatever it is could have happened at the store and took this long to show. I would take it back and get a new one.

Brenda,

Here is some info that you might find interesting....

Our Canadian Tire garden center opened this week...I went to see what they had last night. When I looked at their roses...they all looked fine EXCEPT..... for the David Thompson roses. Every single DT looked exactly like yours.

Has anyone else noticed this in their garden centers?

Sierra

Wow Sierra that is interesting! I hadn't noticed David Thompson... but I have been looking for an own-root John Davis at Walmart and the John Davises are all small and cruddy with no leaves. >:0( I'm definitely waiting for a healthy specimen before I buy anything.

That is an interesting find Sierra. Maybe the David Thompson's don't like what ever kind of "soil" that is in those pots. The Double Delight that I got at walmart was the same brand as those above, and when I transplanted it, that "soil" was definitely saturated completely. But even with better soil, my DD didn't make it, and after I returned it, and checked out the remaining roses that they had, none of the DD's were in leaf like all the others.

IMHO, I would just take it back, and don't get another DT, really, I have it in my garden and it always look sick. I keep saying I will give in another year to see if it gets better, this year it might be going in the dumpster.

In Lois Holes rose book, she writes, that this variety is very sensitive to alkaline soil, its a good idea to add lots of peat moss when planting, so I don't think it would be the growing medium that it's in right now, I'm thinking the CT wholesaler fertilized all the pots, not knowing the Rugosas don't like chemicals.

Sharon

Thanks for all the replies.

I bought all 6 roses at one time at CT. All were just starting to put forth leaves. All were breaking their dormancy. I don't like to buy a rose or a perennial that is still totally dormant, if I can help it.

I googled new purchases of roses and that is where I read, in a Garden Web thread somewhere, that the roses will come in a peat moss mix and have been dormant in storage for a few months before we actually get them in the stores. So, the thread mentioned to water the first time with a root booster to get the roots stimulated. I made up a half strength solution and watered them all.

Sunburn...well, all the roses have been outside on the SW facing deck until our last 4 days (pretty cold and windy at night). But none of the other roses were affected by sunburn. So, I don't think that that is it.

Fertilizer...I have watered once since the original watering with a 1/4 strength solution of 15-15-15 like all the other plants in my house get. Don't know if that would be the cause.

Take the lid off....Good idea. I just removed the cover and wow....the soil is just full of fungus gnats! The soil is moist but not drowning. I put the lid back on!! I will take all the other roses onto the deck this morning and remove all the covers. If there are also fungus gnats in those pots, then they can fly away or be blown away in the wind (but not let loose in my house!).

The leaves...no green left on today. In my last picture there was a lot of nice green leaves yet. Not now.

Roundup damage...definitely not here, yet. I haven't even made up my solution this spring yet. But I need to very shortly.

CT...Sierra noticed that other David T. roses are looking the same as mine...I think I will take mine back today and not worry about getting this rose this year. Now, to find my receipt...

Thanks everyone for your replies. I like the variety of suggestions you all gave me to look at. This is definitely one of the perks of the FN that I really like. We can ask all the 'stupid' questions we want and not feel silly but get lots of good advice from all across the country. Thanks!

Brenda

So, I took it back to CT this afternoon.

Interesting comment by the male clerk at the service counter..."So, What's wrong with it?"

(A plant that has almost all brown curled up leaves)

I thought it was obvious to everyone. Guess not.

I opted to have the credit card credited instead of doing an exchange.

Of course, while I was there anyways, a few things followed me home... but I will post those in the acquistion thread.

Brenda