A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 organic solution for climbing roses?

Hello all,
I had a quick question - I have two very lovely climbing rose bushes, and last year dealt with block spot. I trimmed the bush down, and it has grown rather quickly this year and will start blooming in a few days, but has a whole new set of issues. Some of my leaves are turning yellow and falling off, and there is white powdery mildew on the leaves, not metion aphids are everywhere! Arrrrrgggg!
I tried the baking soda/soap/oil/water mixture, to no avail. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions, or if I should just keep applying the mixture I already have. If so - how often? I applied it twice in the last two weeks, and today I trimmed off all bad looking leaves. There is still new white stuff on the leaves, even a few hours after I trimmed/sprayed.
Help please!!!!!

I've not seen a lot of powdery mildew on roses, but a good product for controling all your problems is neem oil. I can't remember the brand names, but I think Green Light makes one, and several other companies. If you don't see one labeled Neem Oil on the shelf, it's sometimes called fungicide plus or something like that. Neem is very effective for fungus and it's an insecticide as well. I've found that black spot is very difficult to control. When it shows up, you have to spray repeatedly, and try to never let water hit the leaves when you water.
Is there anything you can do to increase the air circulation or get more light on the plant?

Dave, thanks for the Neem tips, I will check at the store today for it.

The roses are in a spot that gets sun from morning to late afternoon, and I trimmed and thinned the leaves to help circulation. Hopefully that will help!

Thanks!

Claire,
Can I ask the dirt/growing conditons the rose is in??

And what kind of fertilizer you've used, if any???


And instead of trimming it next time, *which in turn encourages new green growth~which in turn also attracks aphids*, just pick off the effected leaves of the black spot, pull all of the dead leaves that have dropped, and pull the dirt away from the bottom of the plant and give it some air circulation..

Limit your fertilizers, especially with a high first number, same for any bagged dirt/soil/potting soil that has alot of nitrogen in it, that cause's fast lush green growth also attracking aphids...
(~~~>when a plant isn't in it's right growing conditions or too much of something, it'll send out signals to bugs, saying "Somethings' not right with me, come eat me..")

Stick with the Organic fert's, slow releasing, such as greensand...*Obywan/Terry likes this product alot..* or bone meal, blood meal, fish emulsion as a foliar spray...

And another question, how did you plant the rose?
Did it come bare root, or bagged in soil?
And how did you prepare the hole for planting?

Just curious??

Weezie~

The roses are up against a wall (about a foot away) in soil that I haven't conditioned/fertilized since last year, and they are still lightly mulched from the winter. The area they are growing in actually produces the best size/blooms in my garden an has the best drainage of my yard. They are in the VIP spot:)

The roses came from home depot in 1 gallon conatiners, and they were my first roses so I dug a big hole, back fillled it with store bought garden soil, and watered em in. They seemed to do well last year except for the black spot.

I will take your advise with the fertilizer - I didn't know that it attracted bugs! Ya learn something new everyday....
Thanks!

Let me say I am not a rose expert. I have only managed to keep three alive snd healthy.

For blackspot I read to put down cornmeal mutten I do not know if that is the way it is spelled. Anyway, we had a rainy season and I took regular cornmeal and sprinkled in the soil around and on the leaves and it cleared up.

I fertilize with time release Byers and handful of empsom salt sprinkled around the bush in spring. A bananna every now and then buried. Some sour milk in the spring and fall.

Would it be Corn Gluten Meal???
That stuff is used as a pre~emergant for natural/organic type weed controls by farmers...

I use Bioganic which has Neem in it. It is all organic spray gets aphids white bugsd etc. Good for fungus I bougght mine at Calloways Nursery here. It is by Greenligth think might be what Dave is thinking of. Also use Epsom on the roots I use bllod and bone meal on my roses as well as rose food. Also spray fish emulsion spray. Spray liguid Molass' which I mix crushed garlic and cayene pepper have had good results. When you pick your infected leaves make sure you get them all as if not you will reinfect the plants through the soil. I put mine in the trash to make sure they don't make it back to the soil. Hope this helps you it is just what I do.
Jimmy

Thanks! They are looking much better and have started blooming and are gorgeous (if I do say so myself). I thinned out the leaves and have been spraying with an organic mix from a local store of neem, garlic, etc..., and it seems to be working. The aphids have not returned, thank god, so i was able to cut some flowers for indoors yesterday.
Thanks for all your help!