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ROSE CARE FOR NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER
by Barbara Picarelli, Master Rosarian
by Barbara Picarelli, Master Rosarian
I’m going to deviate from my usual how, what, when column and report on some of the things that were discussed at the recent District Conference. I shall focus only on the two people who gave information on growing roses and their diseases.
First up was Mike Cunningham of UC Davis talking about Rose Virus and Rose Mosaic disease. One of the important things brought out in his very interesting talk was that Rose Virus can actually be necrotic ring spot. As laymen we probably would not be able to distinguish between the two, and if given my “druthers” I’d play it safe and shovel prune. Another BIG bit of information is that mosaic virus has been proven to move between roses via the root system, thus if a plant with the virus is next to a disease free plant, it can move to the unaffected rose. This has great ramifications for those of us who believed it would be isolated to THAT rose and other roses would not be affected. While the test trials were not huge in the numbers of trial roses that showed proof of the spread, it can happen.
Following Mike, was Richard Evans of UC Davis, speaking on “Fertilizing for the Perfect Bloom.” He stressed the use of macro nutrients as necessary for growing roses. While some of the nutrients required such as nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and calcium are well known to us, other nutrients such as boron to stabilize cell wall components, zinc to activate enzymes for protein synthesis and Molybdenum for assimilation of nitrogen are extremely important. Other nutrients such as iron for electron transport, manganese for photosynthesis detoxification and copper for photosynthesis, respiration and detoxification of the plant are also important. Nutrients control the enzymes that are vital in the use of water, nitrogen and other elements by the plant. And of course, soil chemistry does affect nutrient uptake. One slide he showed was the use of nutrients during the growth spurt. The plant actually uses LESS food during that spurt, with most being taken up at the beginning, then levels off and again at the very end of the growth cycle. He recommends feeing the plant at the beginning of the year and then perhaps once during the year only. Given all this information it pays to look at the labels to see if you’re getting ALL the nutrients your plant needs when you buy fertilizers (he likes Maxsea for that reason).
This will be my last column as Consulting Rosarian for Rose Care, thanks for your time.
A YEAR OF ROSE CARE:
January
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Last Modified: 11/26/06