Question
I am in the central florida area and my knockouts have started to get a disease that attacks the new growth and new buds and just renders them lifeless looking not dead...but horribly ugly.  I have cut them back and sprayed with Ortho and rose insecticide and there is still a problem..What do you suggest?

Answer
Oh boy, I hope I have the wrong answer to this question but I may not. It does sound like Rose Rosette to me. Here is a site that shows you pictures of what the disease does to a rose. If that isn't it, and I sincerely hop it isn't, then please get back to me. Just click on the fig 1 to 5 in the symptoms write up. Hope this helps.
http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/plantdiseasefs/450-620/450-620.html#L2