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maryl_gw

RRD Notice

I lost 5 roses this year to RRD. While it was more at once then I've ever experienced, it seems like it's just the tip iceburg so to speak. Sad times these last few years in more ways then one.......Maryl

Here is a link that might be useful: Tulsa Rose Garden

Comments (14)

  • jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
    10 years ago

    Sorry to hear about your losses Maryl!
    And the losses experienced by the Tulsa Rose Garden...

  • Poorbutroserich Susan Nashville
    10 years ago

    Gosh. I'm sorry. Reading the article it says that they will prune the roses hard this year and use horticultural oil...I wonder if that's been an effective treatment for roses in the area of infected roses....
    I've become totally paranoid. It's almost hard to enjoy the beautiful new red growth this time of year without the nagging thought that it could be RRD and I missed it.
    Susan

  • dublinbay z6 (KS)
    10 years ago

    Personally, I don't see how hard-pruning and horticultural oil will keep the wind from blowing an infection-carrier mite onto one of our rose bushes. Those methods strike me as totally irrelevant to RRD.

    Kate

  • roseblush1
    10 years ago

    The strange thing to me, is that we have been sharing information on this forum for years about RRD and for some reason, the media thinks this is "news".

    I have to admit, I am glad it hasn't hit my area of the country, yet. I do sincerely feel for those of you who garden in areas where it has an impact on your gardens.

    I can remember the day when Baldo Villegas told me that I could never have a rose garden here because of the rose curculios. Yes, I found a non-toxic way to manage them, and do have a rose garden. Yet, when I think of that day, I'll always feel the heartbreak brought on by what I thought was the death of a dream.

    Lyn

  • henry_kuska
    10 years ago

    dublinbay, what appears to be the best article (so far) on rose rosette virus from the mites viewpoint is the following:

    http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/IN/IN99900.pdf

    It is written by:
    "Marjorie A. Hoy, eminent scholar and Davies, Fischer and Eckes Professor of Biological Control, Department of Entomology and Nematology, Florida
    Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611".

    Regarding pruning, she states: "Pruning of roses may eliminate mites and eggs, which are found in the crevices of cane petioles and in new growth."

    Regarding horticultural oil, she states: " It is unclear which pesticides are effective to manage this mite. Because the mite is âÂÂhiddenâ in the buds on the growing tips, coverage is difficult to achieve. However, it is known there are natural enemies (predatory mites, fungi) of many eriophyid species, so the use of âÂÂsoft pesticidesâÂÂ, such as light horticultural oils, sulfur, soaps, etc., may preserve the naturally occurring natural enemies.

    Here is a link that might be useful: link for above

  • Maryl (Okla. Zone 7a)
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    RRD is certainly nothing new in the Tulsa area. In the late 80's I thought I had a case on my 2 climbing White Dawns. I went to the Tulsa Rose Garden and by pure luck ran into the woman that was the head caretaker for the roses in the garden. She took me over to a climbing Chrysler Imperial with RRD and confirmed my suspicions. The symptoms were identical. Since then I've had one case or two about every few years, but nothing like this year......If you think about it Oklahoma is a perfect breeding ground for the mites. We have songs written about our winds, and that doesn't include the tornados. As long as we have those winds, a person (or a rose garden) can do what they will against them, but sooner or later the wind will carry new mites right back to the garden. All the methods talked about in the article are concerned with killing the mites they might have now, but what happens next spring when they are on the move again? Personally even if they come up with a miticide that kills the mites and can be used as a preventative spray, I don't think I want to get involved with it. But never say never..... I wonder where/how it will end? If it ever crosses the Rockies not even the West Coast will be immune. All it takes is one mail order infected rose to start the ball rolling....Anyway, I've taken up daylilies in the past few years and it's probably a good thing I have considering how bad this RRD is getting........Maryl.....P.S. thanks for the words of sympathy. It's hard loosing old friends even if they are just roses.

  • kentucky_rose zone 6
    10 years ago

    Maryl,
    I hope they weren't some of your favorite ones. Which varieties did you lose? Earlier this year, I lost Pierrine, but it wasn't one of my favorite, favorites. Losing five in one year is a big hit. Last year I lost Pat's Choice. Ouch!

  • henry_kuska
    10 years ago

    Early on there was talk of "hiding" the rose from the mites by using anti-transpirants. This line of thought seems to have died.

    Another more recent idea was to have the roses take up additional silicate as silicates discourage insects (in general) from feeding on plants.
    http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/roses/msg030010308429.html?12

    Here is a link that might be useful: thread that discusses use of silicates

  • Terry Crawford
    10 years ago

    Maryl, I understand your discouragement. RRD has been hitting my gardens hard this year also. My shovel has been very busy the last two years....taking out mature climbers, Bucks, shrubs, HTs, etc. I've even eliminated one rose garden and turned it into a conifer garden, with heaths, heathers, and grasses.

    I'm trying to stop the march of RRD and keep it from getting to the big shrubs like 'Quietness, Earth Song', and Well Being'. Right now the middle of my huge hillside has been decimated and is pretty sparse and empty where I've dug up RRD-infested roses. The daylilies remain, along with other perennials, but the roses are gone. The prevailing Southern winds that blow across the meadows continue to spread this horrendous disease and I've come to the sad realization that that are other plants better suited for my gardens. This was the first Fall in years that I haven't ordered any roses when Palatine opened in September...bittersweet.

  • dublinbay z6 (KS)
    10 years ago

    Oh, maryl, I'm so sorry to hear your roses have been so hard-hit by RRD. Even one a season is hard to deal with, but several each season? Too, too much.

    Kate

  • Maryl (Okla. Zone 7a)
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Ann of RRD booklet fame made a good observation about where RRD is likely to strike first. The roses facing the prevailing winds usually are the first stop for the mites. Sure enough I've found this to be true. Climbers in particular, being higher then the surrounding rose bushes succumb first if they are hit by the current winds. Unfortunately we have strong winds from the North, South and West. My 20 year old climber on a fence facing east has not (so far) been affected (and I'm just looking for an excuse to get rid of it so that figures).....TerryJean, I certainly understand having to convert from roses to other things. Why beat a dead horse? All plants have their problems of course. Last year for the first time I had rust on my daylilies, which is a disease (while not necessarily fatal) that is becoming all to prevelant around the country. Fortunately my cold winter took care of it, so no problems this year. No easy cure for RRD yet I'm afraid....On the plus side, I have managed to save a couple of roses with RRD by taking out the infected cane down to the crown, but that's only about 20%......Good luck to all of us. Thanks Kay. You always have such nice roses. It would be a shame to see other folks like yourself have to encounter this virus........Maryl

  • dan_keil_cr Keil
    10 years ago

    I had to dig another mini this year, I dug a mini last year.
    I was out at a Nursing Home and found RRD in half of their Knockout plantings. The biggest find this year was at the University Of Illinois. Our Society was on tour of the flower gardens when a few of our members saw some roses. They came over to me and told me about it. I went over and looked at them. RRD had been on those plants for a while, and this was a large planting of different varieties of Knock Out roses The Horticulturist in charge did not know anything about RRD. It took our members and myself to educate her!

  • henry_kuska
    10 years ago

    Dan, how did you rule out herbicide damage?

  • Patty W. zone 5a Illinois
    10 years ago

    Okay, this is just so sad. Seeing posts from Illinois with people losing roses to rrd, sad for rose lovers every where. I had already learned of rrd from reading here so when I saw that first bad cane some 15 years ago I felt like vomiting. Standing staring at it, wishing it wasn't but it was rrd. Garden was hit very hard that year losing many, many roses. Still had loses for another two years but nothing since. I also diversified after that bring in clematis and many daylilies. I absolutely need to learn how to root roses. All of mine are own root and some special to me can no longer be purchased own root. Easter Basket whlle not a big deal rose to most is just beautiful to me can't imagine being without her and no longer available own root. Last deadly virus to strike here is cucumber mosaic virus. Killed my ligularias. Vectored by the fuzzy white leaf hopper. Methods of spread (among others) hand to plant contact. Are you kidding me now sterilizing pruners between plants isn't enough. I'll always garden so what will be shall be. Pat

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