hello, all .. looking for enlightenment regarding a climbing rose .. not sure which one .. last year it had what looked like a kind of mildew .. over the winter, i removed all leaves .. last week i was in that garden and saw the new leaves curling, darkening, and looking pretty sad .. even telltale signs of the mildew on these new fresh greens .. i removed all that i saw .. i'm adding two pictures i took, which will hopefully show what i'm attempting to explain .. thanks for any assistance ..
It would be highly unusual for your roses to be afflicted by powdery mildew at this time of the year. It tends to be a problem in the warm dry weather of summer. I wonder if the curling is due to frost or cold damage. I thought Vancouver Island wasn't spared the freezing temperatures which ended a week ago?
I agree, it must be in a very protected, warm spot to have that much new growth already. It might have some cold damage, but if it had alot of mildew last year it will get it again this year, you may want to do some preventative spraying now. Some varieties are very mildew prone, if you get tired of it there are some varieties that are disease resistant.
Has white speckles which may be insect frass. Look for bugs. Left shot looks like rose could be 'Dr Huey', used as rootstock for many hybrid roses planted here. These have often died and left behind the 'Dr'. If your plant is producing small medium to dark red flowers without much scent chances are very good that is what you have. Often seems to be infested with mosaic virus. I would jerk it out and put it in the trash or burn it.
i just asked the fellow who owns the rose, what it is, and he tells me it's a 'Tropicana' .. is mosaic virus something that can't be healed? ..
i might have 'seen' the mildew simply because i'm looking for it, based on what i saw happening with this rose last year .. i hadn't actually thought of cold damage .. it has been pretty chilly here in the last while, but this particular rose lives in a sheltered inside corner of a heated building .. i have such little experience with roses, to this point, that i'm filled with questions .. thanks for taking the time to reply ..
Just a couple quick thoughts. I may have it right and I might not. When was the last time this Rose has been fertilized? Was there any Calcium in the fertilizer formulation? I am not seeing any real gloss to the leaves and a part of that is that the new leaves do not have much of a cuticle yet. Without a waxy cuticle buildup the tender leaves become especially susceptible to cold and critter damage such as from aphids, scale and spider mites. I am not seeing powdery mildew on this Rose yet. The white specks on the surface of the leaves are a result from something else. A downward curl to the leaves is a disease problem. An upward curl to the edges of the leaves indicates a fixable problem. The curled and twisted leaves on the photo on the right indicate an insect problem to me more so than a disease symptom, aside from a perceived nutrient imbalance in this Rose.. Jim
so, i'm feeling hopeful .. the upward curl of these leaves could be evidence of .. white fly or aphids? .. then, i could spray with dishsoap/water/oil mixture? .. and, as far as feeding, i'm just about to do a feed/mulch ("organic" fertilizer mixed into compost) .. where would the calcium come in? .. bonemeal? .. the fertilizer mixture is: 4 parts seedmeal, 1 part lime, 1/2 part bonemeal/rock phosphate, 1/2 part kelp meal .. i usually mix up a wheelbarrow full (level-ish) of compost with about a cup of fertilizer, and then use this around the plants in late winter .. i appreciate your thoughts ..
Use this article below as your starting point for ideas on Rose fertilizers. I suggest you use a commercial granulated fertilizer for your Spring application. For you I suggest you include about a half cup of Magnesium sulfate for this Rose along with about one half to one full cup of Lime. If you use the Lime you will not need a fertilizer that has Calcium in it. Consumer Fertilizers: a Review & Analysis then, i could spray with dishsoap/water/oil mixture? Dish soap and water will work for now but if you have Spider mites you will want to use something stronger such as an insecticidal soap, one that has peppermint oil in it or use a couple of ounces of vinegar along with the soapy water if you know you have aphids. Too early in the season for Whitefly I would think where you are. Jim
Strictly speaking soil should be tested before choosing and applying fertilizer. Without a soil analysis report there is not much basis for deciding which nutrients to supplement and how much.
I couldn't see the picture welll enough to make a sure diagonsis. 'Tropicana' is very prone to mildew. The organic product "Serenade' is one I have seen recommended, I'm not sure it is avaiable in Canada, always read and follow the directions on any pesticide.
.. that makes sense .. sounds a bit more 'scientific' than i'm prone to, but won't let that stop me .. thanks
thanks for the article .. will go read it now .. would that be dolomite lime? .. and, i appreciate the ideas about peppermint oil .. i do have insecticidal soap .. i thought i'd seen whitefly flitting about, but maybe not .. i often find when there are aphids there are whiteflies, so i'll be keeping a look out .. it does still seem a bit cold yet for little critters .. thanks for your time ..
