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ROSE CARE FOR APRIL
by Florence Taylor, Consulting Rosarian
by Florence Taylor, Consulting Rosarian
It’s the 20th of March. This morning as I was taking my usual check of the roses and admiring the wonderful new growth and buds that are forming. THERE THEY WERE. It is very early to see aphids; also so many buds forming, but we did have a long spell of beautiful weather.
My answer to the aphid problem is a damp paper towel wrapped around my hand and wiping them off of the plant. A good strong spray of water will knock them off too. Aphids are tiny sucking insects that feed on plant sap. Found in clusters on new shoots and flower buds, they can cause leaves to discolor or turn black with sooty mold. Summer heat and natural predators will reduce their numbers. Myself included. Inspect plants on a regular basis so that you can detect any diseases or pests before they become a problem.
Black spot is a fungus that causes circular black spots with fringed edges to appear on leaves and stems. If I see a leaf that has a black spot I immediately remove it from the plant. Leaves that remain wet for more than 7 hours are particularly susceptible. If a late rain arrives followed by warm weather, spores that over-winter on fallen leaves are spread by splashing water, poor air circulation are some of the causes of the fungus. To control the disease, choose resistant varieties, destroy fallen leaves, mulch to prevent spread of spores, remove infected plant material and create air circulation, spray with baking soda and horticultural oil.
A YEAR OF ROSE CARE:
January
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Last Modified: 4/20/07