Rose Growing is No Bed of Roses

Fig. 1   Aphids

When it comes to roses, the peak of flowering in our area is now. During this time, plants have large leaves; the flowers are huge; and their colors are intense.  The weather is optimum for plant growth and even for pests.  As a general rule, I do not use pesticide in my garden.  We live or move around so close to the plants in my yard, that I'd rather have them look a little bit damaged and disease-infected than having to inhale the fumes of chemicals when I smell their flowers.  Pest and diseases attack my plants but since I am not selling the flowers, I don't mind that they show signs of pest damage.  I have tried some practical solutions to the problems that may not necessarily eradicate but slow down the spread of the pests. 

Aphids

Observation:

Young and succulent parts of roses are often very appealing to aphids (Fig. 1).  Early in the spring, a thick blanket of aphids is a common sight on the basal part of flower buds.  Although, there might be varieties that are more resistant or less attractive to aphids than some, I still have not seen a rose that has not been infested by the pest.

Simple Solutions: 

 1.  Feed the finches; they eat aphids in between meals of seeds.

 2.  Buy and release lady bugs in the garden; they are voracious aphid eaters.

 3.  Blast off the aphids with water. 

 4.  Regulate nitrogen application.  Too much nitrogen coupled with excessive water result in fast growing tissues of plants.  Such plant tissues are soft and loved by tiny sucking insects.

Fig. 2     Powdery mildew (Sphaerotheca pannosa)

Fig. 2a   Powdery mildew and aphids on flower buds.

Powdery Mildew

Observation:
Powdery mildew always starts as spots of scattered powder on the leaves (Fig. 2 and Fig. 2a).  As favorable conditions persist, the powdery spots increase coverage.  Roses that are well watered and growing in a shadier part of the garden tend to be more susceptible to powdery mildew.  In shady areas, leaf surfaces take longer time to get dry that those that are exposed to sunlight. Most fungi thrive on moist spaces.  The spores can be carried by air from one vulnerable leaf to the other.
Practical solutions:
1.  Avoid watering the leaves of plants. 
(This conflicts with my recommended solution for aphids but there's a remedy for that: hose off the aphids in the morning so that the leaves can get dry quickly.)
2.  Prune infected branches to prevent further spread of the disease.
3.  Treat pruners and clippers with a bleach solution. 
4.  Remove all fallen old leaves from under the rose bushes.
5.  Spray a mixture of baking soda (1tsp) and dishwashing soap (2 tsp) and water (1 cup).

 Fig. 3   Black spots (Diplocarpon rosae)

Black Spots

Observation:  

Black spots are really ugly  (Fig. 3).   They start are dark spots on leaf surfaces and eventually the surrounding areas turn chlorotic (yellowish).  Early in the spring when the temperatures are cooler (>75 degrees F) and precipitation is at its peak (here in our area) black spots are prevalent.  They also appear later in the year when the weather gets dry.  It appears to me that roses that are water stressed are vulnerable to infection.  

Just like powdery mildew, black spot is a fungal diseases  .Again, those plants in the shade are more prone to infection because they leaves takes longer to dry up allowing time for the pathogen to grow.  Infected leaves drop off and sometimes roses get denuded.  

Practical Solutions:

1. Avoid watering the foliage of the roses.

 2.  Clean underneath the plants from fallen leaves because they are likely to be carrying the pathogen.

3.  Remove all obviously infected leaves.

4.  If you are not very emotional- discard varieties that are susceptible to black spots and replace them with resistant varieties. 

Final Note:

There are fungicides and insecticides that are recommended for these pests but as I have said earlier - I deliberately avoid using them as a personal preference. 

For more information:

Black spots: http://umaine.edu/ipm/ipddl/publications/5097e/

Black spots: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/GARDEN/PLANTS/DISEASES/blackspot.html

Powdery Mildew : http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7493.html

Aphids: http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/QT/aphidscard.html

Pests will always be a part of gardening; gardeners have to set their personal tolerance level and adjust management techniques accordingly. 

Regretful but Joyful

It has been almost two weeks since Mastering Horticulture was updated.  There was a severe lack time on my part; gardening was pushed in the back burner.  My daughter graduated from high school and we had relatives and friends who came share our joys.  It was a reunion of many relatives.  As everyone would know, before any serious celebration can happen preparation has to be done.  Most of my time was spent in making sure that the there was enough food for several days, towels and bed sheets were washed,  the chandeliers were dusted (I missed some cobwebs) and the baseboards were cleaned.

Regrets.  The garden was not spruced up.  And it happened that our guests came and some of them stayed for a couple of days.  As usual, people came into the house, walked towards the kitchen and out into the patio without even stopping by the living room.  People seem to be attracted to the backyard.  There must be something there that pulls them out from the house.  I cringe as I watch them, from inside the house setting the table, see all the weedy parts of the yard, the yellowish unfertilized tomatoes, the roses that needed dead-heading and the annual plants that I was planning to plant.  I regretted that I did not have the chance to make the garden look spiffy. :(

 

 

Thoughts.  So I thought...  What are gardens anyway?  A garden is like a canvass where one plays the role of an artist or creator.  A design is made either on a piece of paper or in the mind.  We translate our desire things grow and position them accordingly.  We even manipulate the way they behave and control the resources that they get.  Sometimes we are generous to some plants and hold back on some.  We protect the plants from harm as much as we can and pluck out the caterpillars that threaten them.   Unlike a still art, a garden involves life - and life involves change.  A true garden is a work in progress.  It is a relationship between the three key players:  the gardener, the plants, and the environment.  Unless it is made of plastic and silk plants, a garden is never finished.  It continues to progress and progress require maintenance. 

 

Conclusion.  The garden looks the way it looks because of the interaction of the three key players.  For example, the roses (plants) bloomed and I (gardener) was supposed to have deadheaded them but it rained (environment) when I had scheduled to do it.  My regret was borne by my twisted idea about a garden and my role as a gardener.  I imagine that a garden should always be picture-perfect like those in magazines.  However, those are highly choreographed and I do not have the time to do that.  I was too busy with real life - celebrating my daughter's graduation...

Regardless of my own regrets, the family has a great time! 

 

I thank all the relatives and friends who came to celebrate with us.  My daughter will be continuing her education at UC Irvine... Now I am back in circulation! 

Mini Garden Beds

Fig. 1   Lettuce plants growing in miniature garden beds.

Raised-bed gardening can improve plant growth, conserve resources, and prevent soil compaction and erosion.  Let me explain.  The use of an enclosure, no matter how simple (Fig. 1 and Fig. 2), allows soil and other soil-amendments to remain in place - defying erosion.  Garden beds define the places that are exclusively for plants and are off limits to traffic. Water and fertilizer can be applied right where they are needed. 

We experimented on using Redwood fence boards to make simple garden beds.  The soil underneath is relatively good hence there was no need for a deep bed.  Some of the beds were made small to facilitate succession planting.  A new crop can be planted in a bed without having to wait for the other beds to be ready.  Succession planting prolongs the length of harvest season for any given crop.

So far, I am very pleased with the outcome of this experiment. 

Fig. 2   Good soil is contained in the garden box.

For the small spaces in your garden, try these easy mini-garden-beds. 

Homegrown Mother's Day Offering

Rosa 'Eden'

Flowers are a necessary fixture in any special occasion and roses are the often the top choice.   In celebration of Mother's Day, I thought of presenting all my viewers pictures of the beautiful roses that are currently in bloom in my garden.

  

'Double Delight' Hybrid Tea Rose

 

Hybrid Tea Rose 'America'

 

Rosa 'Graham Thomas'

Rosa 'Abraham Darby'

Rosa 'Evelyn'

 

When my oldest child was in third grade she wrote these phrases about me:

My mom is like a rose

Sweet and beautiful,

She loves me.

But she is also thorny,

She disciplines me.

Happy Mother's Day

Kitchen Garden: On a Good Start





Fig. 1    Colorful chards.

 

Many times in the past I was deceived by our spring weather.  It would start to get dry and warm by March and I've interpreted those  as a signal to plant warm-season vegetables.  Then we would get a sudden cold temperature damaging young plants.  This year however, has been mild that I was able to grow cool-season crops before it got too warm.  The temperature is staying consistently pleasant and gradually increasing.  The weather has been very favorable for starting new plants - both annuals and perennials.  As I write this post, the temperature outside is close to 80 degrees F - the warmest day of the season (in our area), so far. 

Here is a list of the vegetables and herbs that are currently growing in my garden:

 

Lettuce

Swiss Chard 

Arugula

Tomato

Cucumber

Raddish 

Potato

Jalapeno Pepper

Japanese Eggplant

Zucchini

Strawberry

Rhubarb (new this year)

Onions

Chives

Garlic Chives,

Cilantro

Basil

Italian Parsley

Fig. 2   Swiss chard 'Rainbow' (Beta vulgaris)

This is my first time planting 'Rainbow' Swiss chard in my garden and I am glad I did.  They are very healthy and colorful (Fig. 1 and Fig. 2).  They are very nutritious and yet they look so ornamental.

Fig. 3     Arugula (Eruca sativa)

I have a pomegranate tree growing in a large pot (Fig. 3) and I thought of planting a fast growing annual crop with it.  The tree was still leafless at the time of sowing; now its leaves provides a slight shade for the arugula.   This arrangement works really well that it will surely be repeated next year.  I did the same thing last fall when I planted bok choy with a Ficus tree.   

  

Fig. 4    Lettuce (Lactuca sativa 'Red Sails' and 'Black-Seeded Simpson')

I planted two varieties of lettuce namely, 'Red Sails' and 'Black-Seeded Simpson'.  Both varieties have similar growth habits (Fig.4); the leaves are crumpled with edges that are frilly.  'Black-Seeded Simpson' has bright and almost-neon green leaves.  'Red Sails' is an award winning variety with glossy red-purplish leaves.  It is fast maturing (45 days) and resistant to bolting or flowering which allows for a prolonged season of great tasting lettuce.

Basil are just emerging with their first set leaves, pole beans seeds were planted last week. 



Fig. 5    Easter Sunday: Kids invaded the vegetable garden in search of eggs.

It's that time again when plant parts that we consider food begin to find their way to the kitchen. 

Vibrant Pink 'Zephirine Drouhin'

Rosa 'Zephirine Drouhin'

Like a celebrity at the peak of her stardom,  'Zephirine Drouhin' was the most photographed subject in my garden yesterday.  The warm sun seemed to have pulled the sepals away from the buds giving way to the petals to explode into beautiful cerise pink flowers. 

'Zephirine Drouhin' roses flank our garage doors - adding a romantic look to the otherwise drab section of the house.  When in bloom, they command a great deal of attention to passers-by.  Visitors who get close to them also notice the pleasing fragrance of the flowers. 

Technically speaking, climbing roses are not climbing plants.   When I say climbing plants - these are the plants that are naturally capable attach themselves to structures as they grow such as clematis and ivy.  Climbing roses on the other hand, have long canes that can be trained to grow upwards on structures.  This is the case with my 'Zephirine Drouhin' roses.   The canes are supported in place by thick wires that hang under the gutter.   

This rose has pale green leaves (I used to think that it was always in need of nitrogen fertilizer).   They seem to be tolerant to shade; my roses are plated on a north-facing side of the house which allows only the afternoon sun.    

 

 

This bourbon rose is a repeat bloomer.  But my observation is that is susceptible to aphids and sometimes black spot and leaf rust.  It could be attributed to the shorter period of exposure to sunlight. 

 'Zephirine Drouhin' - old fashioned, thornless, vibrant pink, and shade tolerant.

Lady Banks

Fig. 1    Rosa banksiae 'Lutea'

Lady Banks rose (Rosa banksiae 'Lutea')  is one of the first roses that blooms in my garden.   Its dainty, soft yellow flowers come in clusters on long arching canes.   This time of the year it provides a surprise spray of color in the 'Down Under' (part of the yard).  It blooms profusely but only once a year. 

Fig. 2     The fence provides a support for its arching slender canes.

 Some of the cane lean against the fence on the eastern side of the yard. This rose could be trained onto  an arbor or strong trellis.

Fig. 3      Canes drape on the nearby plum tree.

This year I allowed some canes to extend beyond to the height of the plum tree growing next to it.  The delicate flowers cascading on the  tree is a very pleasing sight (Fig. 3).  However, knowing how aggressive this rose is, I prune it down every year.  Discipline is required for this rose in order for the plum tree to thrive.   There is mulberry tree nearby which shades it during part of the day and thus regulates its growth a little bit.

Fig. 4    Clusters of tiny soft yellow flowers.

Rosa 'Lady Banks'  has small glossy leaves.  In our area, the plant is evergreen and almost pest-free.  The canes are vigorous growing more ten feet per growing season. The rose is almost thornless which makes it rank high on my list of preferred plants for my garden. 

Rosa banksiae near a creek;  my daughter following some ducks.

Named to honor the wife of an English botanist (Sir Joseph Banks 1743-1820), the Lady Banks rose is nobility in season.