It absolutely amazes me what happens in the rose garden every spring. Even though our spring has thus far been cloudy and cool, the rosebushes are leaping and foliage is beautiful! There are already tiny rosebuds on many of my rosebushes, and I am already thinking I will probably be bloomed out by Ct Rose Society’s Rose Show on June 19th!! This is a common phenomenon in my neighborhood. Our rose society is state-wide, and although Connecticut is a small state, we have an amazing temperature spectrum here. I am pretty much in the middle of the state in the Connecticut River valley. Temperatures are more moderate here than in the eastern and western hills, and Long Island Sound keeps the shoreline warmer in the winter, but cooler in the spring and summer with on-shore breezes. Most areas bloom a little later than I do.

Lush Foliage

So-hurray!!-we have all this beautiful, healthy foliage now-and how are we going to keep it this way? Basically, it is your choice what kind of rose medications you keep and use on your property, and there are a lot of things to choose from out there. For myself, I look at spraying my roses as an innoculation against disease…much the same as taking my kids for their immunizations when they were little. I love my roses, and I dote on them daily. I take the time to spray them every ten days or so. The products I use are the same ones you can pick up on a trip to Lowe’s Garden Center.

I really like the Bayer products (same name as on the aspirin bottle). Their Disease Control is a broad-spectrum fungicide, and it works. The plant absorbs it. Then, the product protects from within. It also leaves an invisible coating on the leaves which protects from fungal penetration. I always rotate with another product because those little spores are always evolving and I don’t want them to become immune to the product I am using. Spectracide makes and Immunox fungicide which is a systemic as well, and I generally will use this or something like it every-other spraying.

How to Use

Before you spray anything in your garden, you want to make sure your foliage is turgid so it doesn’t absorb too much and burn around the edges. Water well the day before if you haven’t had a good rain in the last few days. Protect yourself when you are planning on spraying anything…remember, no matter what spray medium you are using, it is a chemical. Some people wear respirators and Tyvec suits. Generally, I wear rubber gloves, long pants and sleeves, and I spray early in the morning before the breeze comes up. I spray the undersides of the leaves, the tops, and let it run off into the soil which will in many cases kill spores on the ground.

There are some organic sprays available to the home gardener, as well. Bayer Crop Science has developed their ‘Natria’ line, there are insecticidal soaps and Neem Oil products, and baking soda based fungicides. READ EVERY LABEL to determine what is going to work for you in your garden. As a matter of fact, no matter how regularly you use any product, the most important protective measure for the gardener and the plants to be sprayed is READING THE LABEL INSTRUCTIONS EVERY TIME YOU USE THE PRODUCT!! That way, you’ll be sure to use the product properly. Also remember that using more than the recommended dose may be hazardous to your plants, and using less will not protect as it should.

Start your fungal spray program now, and keep healthy foliage all summer. See you in the rose garden! I’m headed there now.