It is almost Mother’s Day and have you gotten your Mother or Wife a gift yet?  Are you getting her a bouquet of roses? What type of rose did the rose come from? Is there a difference? Isn’t a rose a rose?

Have you ever wondered if you could grow your own roses rather than depending on the local florist? Now I don’t have a problem with supporting the local florist, I am actually glad she is there, but I really like to surprise my wife with a fresh rose from our own rose garden. Her smile radiates and fills the room with pure delight.

Hybrid Tea Rose: If you want the perfect cutting rose, make sure that you plant this variety. Tea Roses bloom on single stems, and will have a high center point. Most of these roses will carry a traditional rose fragrance. Henry Fonda, Mister Lincoln and Peace are some of my favorite varieties.

Floribunda Rose:  A beautiful bush rose that will provide clusters of 3 to 15 rose blooms per set. Two of my favorites are Angel Face and Iceberg.

Grandiflora Rose: This is a cross between the Tea rose and a Floribunda rose. A Grandiflora can grow up to 6 feet tall.  The blooms have the characteristics of the tea rose; however, they will bloom in clusters. Truly a show stopper. Crimson Bouquet, Gold Medal, and Queen Elizabeth are a must for any rose garden.

Miniature Rose: The perfect rose for the small area.  Miniatures are grown on their own root stock and will grow 6 inches to 24 inches in height. They are hardy and are perfect for containers.

Climbing Rose: If you have a empty wall and you want to dress it up, offer a trellis or support and plant a climbing rose.  Not all climbing roses are hardy in all areas, make sure that you take winter protection precautions when planting. Joseph’s Coat and Golden Showers are wonderful climbers to grow.

Shrub:  These roses are also known as landscape roses because of their growing habits. A shrub rose usually offers a spreading habit, and are mostly disease resistant. They can come in all shapes, colors, and sizes. You can’t go wrong with Carefree Delight, Homerun, or Knock-Out.

As you can see there are many roses to choose from. As for me, instead of a simple bouquet of roses for Mother’s Day this year, I am giving my wife a dozen rose bushes…but I have to plant them.

“….A flower unplucked is but left to the falling, And nothing is gained by not gathering roses.”  Wrote the poet Robert Frost and how true that is.  A rose can often be admired from afar when left on the bush; however, one must gather roses to fully enjoy the full beauty offered. Have you taken time to smell the roses lately?

Today I have provided a video that talks more about the disease and what to do if your roses should acquire it. In this video, Dr. Steve Vann, Extension Urban Plant Pathologist, tries to calm fears by showing how to control the devastating disease. He works for the Arkansas Extension office, but his advice will work in any area.

So, now that you have learned more about Black Spot in Roses, what are you going to do to prevent it in your rose garden? Please leave me a comment and share.

Photo Provided by FreeFoto

Yesterday we began discussing the many disease problems which can affect your roses. We covered how to diagnose and treat three different disease problems such gall, powdery mildew and downy mildew. Today we are going to talk about three more diseases which are common in roses and how to treat them.

Symptom: Yellow blotches on upper surfaces of leaves, small powdery orange or black postules on underside of mature leaves.

Cause: Rust—This is a fungal disease that may appear when days are warm and nights are cool and moist.

Treatment: Ensure that the rose plants have good air circulation and ample sunlight. If further treatment is necessary, you will need to treat with a fungicidal treatment that is listed for rust control.

Symptom: Brown dieback of cut canes; brown fuzzy mold on debris around the rose plant. In severe cases, the entire flower bud rots.

Cause: Botrytis blight (grey mold)—This fungal growth favors rainy cool periods or nights with high humidity.

Treatment: Remove all of the damaged areas of the rose plant and clean up leaves and debris from below the plant to prevent the fungus from spreading. Maintain good air circulation around your roses.

Symptoms: Dark black spots with irregular edges on the leaves. The spots tend to be round, varying in size from pinpoint to quarter-sized. Half of leaf yellows or leaf drops completely from the rose plant.

Cause: Black spot—This fungal disease favors rainy weather, poor air circulation or improper watering.

Treatment: Spray-Dust-Watering technique. After winter pruning, apply a dormant lime-sulphur spray. Remove dropped leaves and other debris. During the growing season, spray with fungicides listing rose black spot as a target on a rotational basis. Fungus spores are found on the undersides of leaves, so spray upward from underneath the rose plant. Spray in the early morning when the weather is calm and cool. Water your roses early to allow the foliage to dry thoroughly.

Now that you know some of the most common disease problems in roses, which ones have you had experience with? What have you done to control or eradicate the disease? Leave me a comment and share.

Photo provided by FreeFoto

This week we have been discussing the many different problems which are common in roses and are caused by insects. We discussed how to diagnose and treat insect problems such as beetles, rose midge, leaf cutter bees, rose cane borers, aphids, thrips, leaf rollers and spider mites. Now we are going to address several more common problems which may be affecting your roses, such as disease and how to treat those problems.

Symptom: Tumor-like growths on canes, roots, or at the bud union.

Cause: Gall (aerial, crown or root)—This is a bacterial pathogen that enters through a wound on your rose plant or by a pruning tool that is contaminated.

Treatment: Prune away any sections which are infected if possible. Sterilize your pruning shears and other hand tools with bleach or alcohol to prevent the bacteria from spreading. Any plants which are seriously weakened should be destroyed. You will need to treat the soil with a bactericide or leave it fallow for two seasons before you replant.

Symptom: White powdery material appears on young growth.

Cause: Powdery Mildew—This is a fungal disease that is fostered by warm days and cool nights.

Treatment: At first you should try spraying the affected areas with a solution of baking soda and dish soap. Make sure that the plants have good air circulation and an ample amount of sunlight. If you need to treat your roses further, then you will need to treat them with a fungicidal product for powdery mildew control.

Symptom: Dark, irregular splotches on foliage, dropping of apparently healthy leaves, sections of yellow leaves.

Cause: Downy Mildew—This is a fungal disease that may appear when nights are cool and humid. This mildew can develop very rapidly.

Treatment: Water your rose plants early in the day to allow the surface of them to dry thoroughly. Avoid overhead irrigation and prevent water from collecting around the plants. Cut the defoliated plant back. Clean up any debris and then dust with sulfur. Then spray the roses with a fungicide that lists downy mildew as a target.

Which of the above problems do you have or have had with your roses? Which methods have you used to eradicate the disease? Leave me a comment and share. Tomorrow I will discuss problems with rust, blight and black spot in your roses.

Today, I am providing you with a video that discusses this very thing, along with a couple of other problems in the rose garden. There is some great advice and How-To information that I hope you will find useful in your rose garden.

What are some of the other problems you are having in your rose garden? Leave me a comment and I will happy to help.