PREVENTING FUNGUS ON ROSES

Your rose bushes are now on their way to great foliage and the formation of buds. If you have not cut back your roses by now, you better get the job done today, except for climbing roses. The idea of a climbing rose is to get a good height so trimming back rather than cutting down is recommended. Your hybrid teas, floribundas, hedge and ground cover roses need to be cut back so that all of your new growth comes from lower on the stem.

We received our roses just a week ago and I was very happy to see a light, white residue on the leaves as this is a sign that these roses were treated with a “preventative” spraying of fungicide. This tells me that these roses are the best that they can be, unfortunately, one spraying is never enough. This means that in order to keep these roses in top shape, I will need to continue spraying fungicide, and insecticide often to continue the prevention of these problems, especially after a hard rain. Black spot was a real problem on roses for a lot of people last year. Stay ahead of this disease by spraying often before you see any problems.

Lilacs, Bradford Pears, as will as other blooming trees, including fruit trees all came into bloom this year very early due to the unseasonably warm weather in March. We were very lucky that the weather didn’t take a turn for the worse by hitting us with a very cold freeze before the blooming was finished. Now that the trees, especially the fruit trees, are leafing out, it is time to spray with fruit tree spray. Another product that is out there is a summer oil spray which is very similar to dormant oil spray except it is safer to use after the leaves appear. Generally fruit tree spray is applied soon after fruit appears on the tree but before you are ready to harvest.

Transplanting trees and roses, or any other perennials is best done while the weather is cool and damp. So this means if you have plans to move something, you better do it soon. The rule of thumb is to dig up as much of the root ball as you can carry and water well after planting. If the weather is warm and sunny, then wait until the end of the day, just before evening so that your plant has all night to settle in. Your plant can then gradually warm up in the morning as the day progresses. This is a good example of a time when you might want to use a product known as Wilt Pruf. This is an antidecatant used to lock in moisture and should be applied just before you dig. Also, if your plant is real big you may need to cut back some of its growth.

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