Above I said I would tell you how to treat Thrips.  I treat them very badly.  After all they stop my beautiful rose buds from opening and that is cause for war.  Let us back up a bit first and talk about how to determine if the enemy is present.

  

Blooms affected by Thrips are slow to open and have some characteristic browning around the edge of the petals. If you suspect that Thrips are present the test for verifying it is easy and involves a piece of white paper and a suspected bud.  If the bud has begin to open you can just slap it on the paper and the dislodged Thrips will run in many directions from where they land.  If the bud is still very tight, you will need to pull the bud apart over the paper and watch for them to hit and run. 

  

Once identified Thrips are easily controlled.  For those of you who would like to be as kind to the environment as possible.  Use Neem oil and spray it as if you are trying to spray it down into the the bud.  Another good choice is a product containing Spinosad.  Spinosad is also very kind to the beneficial insects including those that feed on the Thrips.  Products containing Acephate can also be used as both as a prophylactic spray as well as a curative.  Acephate is an organophosphate and indiscriminately kills pretty much every bug that lands where it has been used.  Therefore I would suggest that you use it only when the less harmful treatments do not offer sufficient control. Thrips can be expected anytime we have wet cool weather, Spring or Fall makes no difference, so when the weather conditions are right I begin to check for the presence of Thrips and take the appropriate action immediately upon finding them.   

To date I have found 15 rose bushes with Rosette disease.  Some I have seen as I was driving through a neighborhood, others I have found when called upon to check roses with a problem.  It is very important that you are vigilant in watching for the tell-tale signs of Rosette disease and sterilize your pruners between bushes.

  

Many think that the disease is spread by a microscopic mite.  I know that it is spread mechanically by pruners and hedge trimmers.  To many times I have went to a garden only to find that the rose grower identified a rose (usually a Double Knock Out) as having something wrong with it long before the others. The grower continued to prune it and move throughout the garden without disinfecting their tools and within a short time most of the roses in the garden were infected.  The photo below is of a Double Knock Out rose infected with Rosette.  Notice how the canes have a swollen appearance.  It is larger that the cane it sprouted from and it has an unusual number of prickles.

 

  

If you haven't started your preventative fungus spraying it is time you start.  All fungal diseases are best prevented. Once the fungus disease is visible it is hard to control.  We have what it takes to prevent fungus on your roses. Ask us about Roses inc. Black Spot Remedy.

You have made up your mind that this year you are going to have a rose garden.  You have built the beds using all of the proper ingredients, tested the PH and it is right on target at 6.5.  You are ready to purchase the roses.  You know you have seen many roses at the box stores and garden centers that you have frequented this spring but what are the guidelines for picking out the correct roses for your new garden?

Many plant sellers have a plethora of all kinds of different plants and they also sell roses.  Many times there are many different roses available and they must be OK for our climate since they are being offered for sell here, right?  All too often the answer is no.  Many large chains have buyers who select the roses and buy for the entire chain with no consideration being given to where in the country these roses will be sold.  

Next while looking at the shelves of roses you notice that some of the leaves show yellow with black spots on them or you notice upon close inspection that there a spider webs underneath the leaves.   This must not be a problem or they wouldn't be selling them.  Wrong again.  I have seen entire shipments of roses come in from the supplier with spider mites all over them.  Trust me you do not want spider mites. In one instance I told the driver that I could not accept the shipment because of the infestation and his reply was that he had already delivered to several other locations and I was the first to complain.  I grow roses and I guess I am just a little pickier than most but I sent the entire load back to the supplier.  Spider mites can kill a rose if left un-checked and now we have a few more gardeners that won't ever try roses again because they are just to hard to grow. 

The question that remains is how do you know what you are buying without being a rose specialist?  First, if they are wilted do not buy them.  If they do not get watered properly for long periods of time the roots are irreparably damaged and the rose bush will never flourish.  Next examine the bushes.  Do they have yellowing leaves?  Are they diseased?

Stay clear of rose bushes that do not look healthy.  Remember that size alone does not guarantee quality. Big plants in big containers are not always the best buy.

Lastly, verify that the bush has 3 or more canes that are bigger than a # 2 pencil.  If a bush has less than 3 canes it is a second quality bush that for unknown reasons got off to a slow start and did not thrive in the growing fields. Stay away from long spindly canes. Spindly canes are too often a sign of over fertilization in an attempt to ready substandard rose bushes for sell.