What rain does to roses
Previously on this blog and on Garden Rant, I have commented on what a great season for roses it's been. Can I take that back? Our great April sunshine and May rains created a floriferous crop, but now a mid-June rainy season has outworn its welcome.
Too much water on rose buds and blooms causes them to "ball", i.e., turn into sad little droopy balls. The excessive dampness can also promote diseases such as blackspot and mildew. And physically, the really hard showers simply beat the blooms into the ground. In such a case you just want to cut what you can and let it develop inside, where it's relatively safe (though our cat is also an enemy of cut flowers).
Like anything, gardening is wrought with danger and heartbreak. Many I know have given up on their first flush of roses and are hoping for better rebloom after the next sunny spell. It's a mixed blessing. I am happy not to worry about watering. But no more wine in the garden until this lets up.
Comments
How do you deal with the black spot and mildew on your roses? I live in the Pacific Northwest so this is a constant problem for me. I have tried picking all the infected leaves and blooms off my plants, which is the only organic method I am aware of. For my plants, however, this generally means removing 90 to 100 percent of the leaves and blooms, so I have given up on this approach and now just try to remove the worst of it until our dry season in July and August. Do have any suggestions for better ways to deal with these problems?
You think I would get rid of my roses for all of the trouble they cause, but then that absolutely spectacular bloom happens and I'm hooked for another year...
Here in Seattle, we have a latté stand on every corner, in Buffalo, a there’s gin mill. So I found your blog title soooo appropriate, even if you were thinking of something else!
I love flowers, but don’t grow them myself – I am eternally grateful to folks like you!
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So pleased I found your page.
the happy garden on the other hand is being eaten by happy animals... those stinkers..:)
Your roses and photos on your blog are exquisite.....
I'm experimenting with a homemade organic remedy for blackspot on my roses. It's seemed to help, and though it doesn't prevent every single leaf from being infected, it is keeping enough leaves on the plants for them to give me plenty of blooms. They may not look like show roses, but I'm happy with what I'm getting! I do have to respray every few weeks AND after rain:
1 cup fat free milk
1 cup water
1 to 2 tsp. baking soda
1 T. cooking oil
Good squirt of liquid dish detergent
Put in small spray bottle and shake well.
(I don't always get the measurements the same each time, so you may have to experiment a bit.) Spray on top and under the leaves. Good Luck!! Patricia
As for blackspot and mildew, my suggestion is to stay away from hybrid teas! The old roses and David Austin roses, as well as some hardy, disease-resistant hybrids can perform better in some situations. Otherwise, I would plant garlic and other plants among the roses, and give them lots of room for air circulation.
Try one of the following..
Dust roses infected with black spot with sulfur powder.
Sulfur will not kill the fungus spores, but it will prevent a new generation from germinating.
Spray a solution of 1 tsp. baking soda mixed in 1 qt. warm water in the early morning hours.
Spray roses with a dormant oil when plants are dormant (usually in winter).
Hope this helps..
Wonderful blog,
I am pleased I found you..