Caring for Roses Begins Before Planting
Roses are candy for the eye and nose. Before you plant your first rose know that you can prevent three of the most common types of diseases of roses. It's not hard to do, and with just a little care before planting and care afterwards for them, they'll be great looking roses growing in your yard.
Whether it's a climbing rose, hybrid tea, miniatures or Old Garden Roses, or any other variety, a little work is necessary to stop rose disease in its tracks. Preventative practices will make home look inviting and pleasing from the curbside, and it will save time and money too from buying new roses and digging out the old ones.
Types and Prevention of Rose Diseases:
One disease is a powdery mildew that can be easily viewed on the leaves of roses. It resembles the old type of chalkboard chalk from classrooms of yesterday. The infection can also be on the rose buds too, but it might not be at first as noticeable as on the leaves because of the greenery. It's caused by planting roses that are in over moist conditions, and poor circulation of air for the roses.
Treating the rose mildew is important because it can eventually kill the plant and spread to other ones too. To keep from getting the disease on the plants, prune regularly and don't let water stand for too long around it. If a rose area is around or under a tree, you might have to prune the trees or loose the roses. There are other things that are necessary to keep the roses disease free, and that's to constantly pick up any rose leaves and buds that fall to the ground, and dispose away from any plants in a sealed bag.
Another whopper of a disease for roses is rust. It's usually found first on the back of the oldest leaves, but it can be found too on younger leaves close to the ground. The appearance of it is a velvety orange brownish color, just like the new rust color on a vehicle. Rust can kill the plant because it does spread. Again, over watering and extremely damp conditions will leave the roses open for attack from this type of fungus
article by Tina Watts |
