[Arid_gardener] roses

[Heather]

Hi all,
   I'm hoping someone can help me diagnose and correct a problem with a rose bush.  When I moved into my new house in May, there were three sad, but established rose bushes on the back fence (limited western exposure because the fence is only about 15 feet from the back of the house).  The house had been empty, and the roses uncared for, since July 2006.  Two of the roses apparently gave up---after a bit of greening after their first drink of water in a long while, they just shriveled up and died.  The third rose bush has maintained the leaves it put out toward the end of May, but they are all patterned with yellow.  The leaves look almost paisley, like each cell is outlined in yellow.  I've only fertilized with Ironite and MiracleGro.  No sign of bugs.  
   Now I'm replacing the two dead rose bushes with bareroot and wondering if there is anything I should add to the soil or do to these roses as they start greening up to avoid the same problem.  Is there anything I can do to salvage the existing rose and save the new roses from the same fate?

Thanks,
Heather
85713
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