Thankfully, there are resistant rose varieties, such as Knockout Roses and John Cabot Roses we discussed in Ep. 162. But even with that, dilemmas can arise. In this episode, we discuss unsightly rose dilemmas requiring Holy Moly Rose Remedies to treat insect and fungal damage safely.
Then, we wrap up with an analogy of how plant dilemmas parallel health dilemmas we endure as humans. By nurturing nature, we can improve our health and our dear earth.
I hope you enjoy the story.
Related Stories & Helpful Links:
Holy Moly Rose Remedies
Aphids on Roses
Japanese Beetle Time
The Irresistible John Cabot Rose- Blog Post
Ep 162. The Irresistible John Cabot Rose
Link to the American Rose Society
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I'd love to hear your garden and nature stories and your thoughts about topics for future podcast episodes. You can email me at AskMaryStone@gmail.com. Thanks so much for tuning in.
You can Follow Garden Dilemmas on Facebook and Instagram #MaryElaineStone.
Episode web page —Garden Dilemmas Podcast Page
Thank you for sharing the Garden of Life,
Mary Stone, Columnist & Garden Designer
AskMaryStone.com
More about the Podcast and Column:
Welcome to Garden Dilemmas, Delights, and Discoveries.
It's not only about gardens; it's about nature's inspirations, about grasping the glories of the world around us, gathering what we learned from mother nature, and carrying these lessons into our garden of life. So, let's jump in in the spirit of learning from each other. We have lots to talk about.
Thanks for tuning in, Mary Stone
Garden Dilemmas? AskMaryStone.com
Direct Link to Podcast Page
Ep 163 Holy Moly Rose Remedies
Sat, Jun 01, 2024 7:52PM • 10:27
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
rose, roses, plant, garden, knockout roses, aphids, dilemmas, fungus, remedies, insects, spray, disease, fungicides, carolyn, climbing roses, suggest, systemic, pat, soap, powdery mildew, dilemmas, mary stone, garden, nature, inspiration
SPEAKERS
Mary Stone
Mary Stone 00:01
Hello fellow lovers of all things green. I'm Mary Stone and welcome to Garden Dilemmas, Delights and Discoveries. It's not only about gardens, it's about nature's inspirations, about grasping the glories of the world around us, gathering what we learned from Mother Nature and carrying these lessons into our garden of life. So let's jump in in the spirit of learning from each other. We have lots to talk about.
Mary Stone 00:26
Hello there it's Mary Stone on the screen porch and it has been a glorious day with low humidity and sunshine. Although the humidity starting to settle in as the evening approaches, hear all the lovely bird sounds. I'm happy to see my house plants are back on the screen porch. They seem happier too. You may hear in my voice when I am recovering from a cold that has gone into a respiratory infection that seems to have snuck up on me-- like plant diseases that has a way of doing that. But thankfully I am on the mend.
Mary Stone 01:00
I want to thank those that reached back after last week's chat about the irresistible Jon Cabot rose, one of my clients, Carolyn here and Blairstown, wrote, The gardens are spectacular. Even Patrick is thrilled. He asked if the roses were John Cabot ones as he saw your blog. My response back -- I am tickled pink to hear! Yours are knockout roses also considered high and disease resistance. Though Carolyn had a holy moly dilemma a few years back, which leads to a story about rose remedies. It starts like this.
Mary Stone 01:34
Hello fellow listeners and readers, Two unsightly rose dilemmas came to my attention, requiring revisiting rose remedies. We've chatted about the plethora of rose challenges such as spider mites and aphids that often run amok. Never mind the fungus amongst us. Then there's black spot and powdery mildew they are famous for. There are deer who also enjoy nibbling, which is odd giving roses prickly nature. Thankfully there are more resistant rose varieties, but even with that dilemmas can arise. Carolyn's Holy Moly insect dilemma on her knockout roses is far more manageable than fungus. I suggest Bonide's Pyrethrin Garden Insect Spray. You can use Pyrethrin, derived from chrysanthemum flowers, even on edible plants. et, it immediately impacts an insect's nervous system, killing them. It's the same remedy we use on Carolyn's Japanese beetles giving great satisfaction to watch them become paralyzed poor things.
Mary Stone 02:35
When you're using Pyrethrin, by the way, be sure not to spray it when beneficial pollinators such as bees and butterflies aren't present. I typically spray it in the evening after the daytime pollinators are done for the day and before moths, our essential pollinators who (unlike butterflies) like to party at night.
Mary Stone 02:53
A side note here -- we applied milky spore which is a long-term biological control using milky disease spores in the fall. We applied it in their lawn areas just beyond the garden. And it's a safe, all natural bacteria that's lethal to grubs but harmless to humans, pets and beneficial insects. We spoke about that in episode 65. It's a Small World Japanese beetles. I look forward to seeing the decline and beetle populations this year.
Mary Stone 03:20
Pat's dilemma is more complicated. She sent photos of her climbing roses in distress about five weeks after we tended to fertilizing and pruning them, after which her knockout roses were doing beautifully and still are - and the climbing roses previously shy on blooms became filled with buds. But only a few buds bloomed. Pat said the others got bigger but didn't open and turn brown on the canes.
Mary Stone 03:45
Rachel and Andrew associate, gardening gurus, thought that the recent heatwave and dry spell might have invited fungus during the drought. Ensure your roses remain moist using a handy dandy soil moisture meter costing less than 15 bucks. Of course, remove disease buds and foliage as best you can as well to reduce fungus. The gardening gurus, like I, primarily rely on organic practices. And while not our favorite, but sometimes it's necessary to treat with a rose systemic Rachel said. She didn't have one to suggest as she rarely uses it so on with the research cap.
Mary Stone 04:23
There's an informative article by the American Rose Society. But despite the title, Fungicide Made Simple, culling through the information is a tad complicated. So I'm going to try to make it simple so here goes.
Mary Stone 04:37
There are contact fungicides to spray on the leaves and others you apply with water to the roots. The later is less risky to use. And contact fungicides aren't as effective as systemic ones, which makes sense because systemic means it absorbs into the plant and won't wash off in the rain.
Mary Stone 04:54
Bonide's Rose RX System Drench is a popular systemic drench, which you apply to this soil. They say it controls insects and fungal diseases for up to six weeks. But the product label safety data sheets and list of restricted states raises a red flag.
Mary Stone 05:11
Like all diseases prevention is vital. Be sure roses receive six to eight hours of full direct sunlight and are spaced at least two feet apart from other mature plants. And when irrigation is needed, only water the roots to prevent wetting the leaves. The American Rose Society suggests not over fertilizing, adding further stress to plants and rotate fungicides to prevent the plant from becoming resistant to chemical treatments. Oh my see what I mean about roses being fussy.
Mary Stone 05:42
Most fungicides only protect uninfected growth from becoming diseased so applying them when conditions are ripe for fungus is best. Black Spot spores tend to germinate between 65 and 85 degrees on foliage that is moist for seven hours or more and powdery mildew when it's dry with high humidity and warm days with cool nights. A few suggested preventative fungicides includes Rose Pride, Rose Defense and products containing Neem Oil. You know Neem Oil, it's my go-to natural alternative that discourages both fungi and parasites. I call it my duct tape in the garden.
Mary Stone 06:20
So if Pat can manage it, I suggest she grab a ladder and spray her climbing roses weekly, along with removing disease buds and foliage until healthy new growth emerges. It's easy for me to say rather than do is I'm a tad nervous climbing ladders. And that comes from taking leaves off a roof a while ago, actually a long while ago. I don't think I'll ever overcome that I got on the roof and couldn't figure out how to get down. But I did eventually after like two hours anyway.
Mary Stone 06:50
Yes, roses can be fussy. But when roses are in their glory, they are indeed glorious. Garen Dilemmas? Ask Mary Stone.com.
Mary Stone 07:00
There's a follow up on Pat's climbing roses that rebounded beautifully. She sent photos and I have to say from her sad looking roses, they are flourishing and have since then. So remedies for good health help just like for us humans. Speaking of knockout roses, my friend Michele of Sparta, New Jersey asked how to keep aphids off for her newly adopted knockout Rose.
Mary Stone 07:25
As we spoke about, knockout roses have become a go to in the garden as they require relatively little care and flower prolifically. They push out the old blooms when the new buds form eliminating the need to deadhead and are highly resistant to insects and disease. But aphids can devastate a plant as they did with her other knockout rose the year prior.
Mary Stone 07:47
Aphids are small, sap-sucking insects that overwinter in eggs and are often called Plant lice for a reason. So Michele's worry is warranted. So how to remedy aphids? Some say coffee grounds, tea leaves, even banana peels at the base of the plant work or apple cider vinegar and a ratio of one ounce vinegar to three ounces of water sprayed on the plant.
Mary Stone 08:09
Others swear by the soap method. Mix three cups of warm water with two squirts of liquid dish detergent. Spray directly onto the rosebush daily until insects are no longer evident. Repeat one to two times per week to keep the bugs away. Some add a half a cup of baking soda to the soap water combo to add bitterness. Michelle heard that Dawn dish detergent is the best soap to use. There is indeed a banter of brand preferences. But the bottom line is insects, such as aphids, don't like their mouths washed out with soap no matter the brand.
Mary Stone 08:43
All of these rose dilemmas and health dilemmas we endure as humans - I suppose there's no such thing as being dilemma-less. But gratefully there are delights and discoveries beyond the dilemmas in this garden of life. And with discoveries we can learn, heal and grow. Yes indeed. And just like with roses to say healthy, we must take good care of ourselves. And that means mental health as well. So I hope you take time for yourself to nurture yourself to make sure that you get the rest that you need so that you remain healthy in Body and Spirit just as the health of our good Earth as we take care of our land around us. So anyway, I want to thank you for visiting with me today on the screen porch. Another rose chat. I'm going to become an expert, I think. I'm very excited to try my John Cabot Rose. I have a favor for those of you that may not have done so already if you could subscribe to the podcast and give us a five-star rating if you're so inclined, because for some magical reason, the more we have of those the more find us and the more that we'll learn and grow in this garden of life. Thanks so much. See you next time on the screen porch.
Mary Stone 09:56
You can follow Garden Dilemmas on Facebook or online at Garden Dilemmas.com and on Instagram at hashtag Mary Elaine Stone. Garden Dilemmas, Delights and Discoveries is produced by Alex Bartling. Thanks for coming by. I look forward to chatting again from my screen porch. And always remember to embrace the unexpected in this garden of life. Have a great day.
