Pest- and disease-free roses

THE GARDEN FANATIC

“There is simply the rose; it is perfect in every moment of its

existence.”

-- RALPH WALDO EMERSON

“ ... roses, at your back porch, break their blood,

And bud to test surprises of sea air ...”

-- HOWARD MOSS

No matter the name or reputed resistance of a particular rose,

insect and foliage disease are likely to come its way. Prevention is

the key to keep pest and disease damage to a minimum. Naturally, a

healthy and vigorous rose is much more likely to ward off problems

than one that is under stress from lack of water or nutrients.

During warm weather roses should receive one to two inches of

water per week. Roses thrive on water. Adequate watering is more

important than fertilizer for growth! Heirloom Old Garden Roses in

Oregon recommends an empty tuna fish can in the rose garden to

monitor the quantity of water applied.

Most roses also require regular applications of fertilizer to

reach their full potential and produce wonderful flowers. During May

a water soluble, balanced fertilizer such as MiracleGro For Roses or

Nurseryman’s Rose food should be applied the first week. Midway

through the month, apply 1/2 cup of Epsom salts, an essential

element in the growth process of roses.

Good cultural practices include watering correctly. Some diseases

can be prevented by watering overhead only in the morning, so the

foliage can dry out prior to the evening. Watering carefully with a

soft nozzle will eliminate soil or mulch from splattering on leaves.

This reduces the opportunities for diseases, such as mildew, from

gaining a foothold.

Pest management begins with controls other than chemicals. This

may involve hand picking worms or water-washing aphids from your

roses. Natural controls like ladybugs and praying mantis can also

keep insects pests under control. However, there are those times when

an invasion of pests will overwhelm such pest management practices.

Although I don’t necessarily espouse establishing a regular spray

schedule for roses, you may never see any evidence of problems if you

spray your plants every two weeks with Orthonex. However, remember

that this chemical will kill both pests and beneficials. All garden

chemicals should be applied thoughtfully and carefully.

To describe roses as perfection is to open them and myself to a

degree of misunderstanding, but certainly they are the evocative

flowers of association. Beyond their unquestioned beauty, the

heavenly scent of our roses keeps me lingering at my back porch each

morning simply because I enjoy being in Catharine’s and their

company. See you next time.

* STEVE KAWARATANI is the owner of Landscapes by Laguna Nursery,

1540 S. Coast Highway in Laguna Beach. He is married to local writer,

Catharine Cooper, and has three cats. He can be reached at (949) 497-

2438, or e-mail to [email protected].