Overhead Watering. Disease Preventative?
comments (2) July 27th, 2010 in blogs
Paul Zimmerman, contributor
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Photo: Paul Zimmerman Roses
In a recent blog post on Hot Weather Rose Tips, I mentioned I give my roses a bath during the heat to cool them down and take some stress off the leaves. It also washes dust away when there is a long spell of no rain like we are currently experiencing here in the upstate of South Carolina.
In the comments on that post a reader correctly pointed out that too much moisture on the leaves can lead to blackspot. We’ve all seen this during periods of constant rain and no sun. However, my own experience has led to the discovery that overhead watering timed right might actually reduce blackspot. Notice I said “timed right”. That is the key.
I once learned from some with knowledge of such things that when a blackspot spore lands on a rose leaf it takes about twenty-four hours to actually attach to the leaf. Why is this important? Because it means you have a twenty-four hour window to wash the spore off the leaf before the actual infection begins.
At my old rose nursery on sunny days I used to turn on the sprinklers in the retail area for about 5 minutes right around noon time. We did this to not only give them a bath but also to see if would help reduce disease. This was in an area with hundreds of roses in 3-gallon pots packed in pretty tight.
It worked. I noticed a reduction in blackspot, we had to spray far less and eventually stopped spraying chemicals all together when we went to an all natural care program. That noon time/sunny day bath still remains part of my chemical free care program here on our farm.
I’m not saying this will work in all parts of the country but for me, and for many others who have done it, there is some disease control. Try it in your garden, around noon, only on a sunny day and only for about 5 minutes and see if it helps.
I realize it’s contrary to almost everything written on roses but hey for me, it works.
Happy Roseing
Paul
Speaking of watering here is an article on the Fine Gardening Website on some great watering tools. Click Here to go to the article.
posted in: rose, blackspot, overhead watering, control
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Everyone loves roses. If you always wanted to add roses to your garden but were too intimidated by their diva reputation, Roses Are Plants, Too is the blog for you.
Paul Zimmerman has grown thousands of roses for over 15 years and for ten of those years in a sustainable manner. His common-sense approach shows you how to integrate garden roses into your landscape by looking at them as nothing more than flowering shrubs, all the while encouraging you to trust your own "Gardener's Instincts" in the care of these beautiful plants.
You will learn how to prune and train climbing roses, and how to get the most "ka-bloom" out of your shrub, David Austin and Knockout rose bushes. You'll get tips on growing roses organically and trimming them all season to keep their shape. You'll discover the difference between own-root and grafted roses, and more. Much of the instruction will be via videos that Paul produces himself!
Paul Zimmerman ran a rose care company in Los Angeles before moving to South Carolina to start Ashdown Roses. Now he focuses on rose education and teaching via Paul Zimmerman Roses. He lectures, gives workshops, and judges rose trials around the world, and it is this experience he brings to this blog.
Whether you are new to roses or an experienced grower, Paul will open your garden to the vast diversity our national flower offers.
If you have questions about roses and rose care or would like to share your own experiences please visit our Roses Are Plants, Too discussion forum.
To inquire about Paul's workshops and lectures, email him at paul@paulzimmermanroses.com.
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