hot pepper wax I suspect that actually will help, although you'll probably have to be faithful about reapplying it as often as the label recommends. Squirrels can taste capsaicin just like we can, so they will be repelled by the hot pepper sensations. Those who contend with squirrels eating birdseed intended for birds sometimes pre-mix the birdseed with chili powder, because squirrels can taste the heat, but birds can't (thus it gives the squirrels a reason to avoid that bird feeder while the birds don't notice any difference at all). Oh, assuming you are successful at getting the squirrels to avoid your new climbing rose, I suspect that once you do that this year you'll find that in the future you will have far fewer squirrel problems with this rose, and may very well have no problems whatsoever. I had problems with my Fragrant Cloud and Paul Shirville hybrid teas the very first year I planted them, but after I noticed trouble I sprayed the area with fox urine and after that had no further problems. That was a few years ago and I've had no problems since then. I guess the squirrels lost interest and look for other sources of food. It may be that once the rose and its thorns ("prickles" is the more proper term) are established the squirrels no longer want to bother with it as a food source as long as there are enough other sources of food around for them.

Rose photos are not showing. Please try to post them again. I guessing here. Sounds like you are using one of the Bayer combo products. Many of us here do NOT recommend those 3-in-one products--often they give the rose much more than it needs. Certainly, if you were not having problems with fungus or with insects, your roses did not need an insecticide or a fungicide. And some posters have noted that the "feed" part--the fertilizer--might be too strong. I'm guessing your roses are suffering from too much nitrogen--nitrogen-burn. All you can do now is give them a good deep watering to try to wash away some of the effects of the nitrogen and then wait patiently for the rose to put out some new leaves. The other possibility that occurs to me is you have a severe spider mite problem. They are so small that you may not see them, but often there will be some telltale webs around parts of the roses. In that case, the cure is relatively easy. Use a stiff spray of water from your hose and give those roses a thorough shower, in particular spraying up underneath the leaves. Repeat this process one or more times every few days. After a week or so of such treatment, the spider mites should be gone (They hate water.). Good luck. Kate

Actually, washing them off with water and then spraying with insecticidal soap is not efficient. The soap application is effective only when the product is wet. Thus....if you disperse the aphids with a strong stream of water, you've already eliminated a great number of the pests in the first place. Keep spraying with the water, on a daily basis. Insecticidal soap applications could damage tender new growth, if done repeatedly. Also, it is a general rule that any dead, diseased, or damaged growth be removed from your plants as soon as you observe it. By the way, repeated use of the soap sprays reduces the chance that you could begin to build up a population of beneficial insects. ( I don't recommend that you purchase said critters, though.) Use those products when absolutely necessary and then with some caution.

Should be okay, a graft is a graft. One cultivar may take over eventually, but that could happen whether the bud union is above or below ground.