by any other name

Roses.  More poems have been written about them than any other flower.  They symbolize love, elegance and speak volumes with their beauty and fragrance.  But I gotta tell you, they are a pain in the neck to grow.

When I first began gardening, I had many roses bushes.  Although I loved them, I soon realized that they are a lot like children in that they required tons of time and attention to be raised properly.  Because I had three children already, I decided to wait on the whole rose scene.

The last two  years have changed that.  I stepped out and began planting them en masse.   Entire books have been  written about the care and feeding of roses, so I can't even begin to make a dent in the subject, but I wanted to give you a heads up on a few of the most obvious problems you may encounter with them.

Aphids:   tiny green insects that will suck the life out of your buds.  The bad news is they reproduce at an alarming rate and feed on new growth (those delightful buds you're just waiting to see bloom).  The good news is they are relatively easy to get rid of.  Try spraying the buds with water to dislodge them.  If that doesn't work, go to your local garden center and ask them for the spray they recommend.

Black spot:  fungus: small black spots on rose leaves.  The bad news is very bad - if left uncontrolled, it can destroy an entire rose bush and spread to other roses near by.  The goods news is that with diligence, it can be controlled.   Humid weather and moist leaves will exacerbate this fungus.  Unfortunately for my hair, there is nothing you can do about the humidity. But there are a few things you can do to control black spot. First, water your roses from the bottom, thereby avoiding wet leaves.  Water early in the day so that any accidental water can dry off in the sun. 

To keep it from spreading, pick off all the leaves with spots.  You also need to rake away any leaves that have fallen to the ground.

Although diligence is your key to controlling black spot, I recommend you go to your local garden center and ask for a good fungicide. 

Powdery Mildew:  grayish powdery looking fungus that attacks rose leaves.  The bad news is, like black spot, it can spread and can damage your roses and any roses nearby.  The goods news is that is controllable and not nearly as lethal as black spot.  Again, pluck the affected leaves off the bush and the ground.  Pruning to make sure there is good airflow is also a good idea. (be sure to clean your shears with a bleach solution to prevent spreading mildew to other plants).  You can also use the fungicide you bought for the black spot.

Japanese Beetles:  disgusting looking army of beetles that will destroy everything in sight.  Bad news: they are voracious and nearly impossible to control.  Good news:  umm....uhh.....well...they die in the winter.   I hate them!  I've tried traps that seem to attract more beetles than they catch.  I've tried sprays that kill the ones on the plant, but do nothing to prevent them.  I've also gone out in the morning and picked them off.  Lately I have also had the lawn treated in Spring to kill the grubs that will one day grow up to be my enemy.  Sadly, your neighbor may not treat his lawn and his beetles have no concept of boundaries.  So...once again, diligence is  your friend.  Try a combination of all the above.  Good luck to ya.

Overall, I do still love roses and they are a wonderful addition to any garden.  Just keep at it.