Help!!! I think I just killed one of my grandifloras!

[2006kassia]

I am new at this... I just planted my first 5 bareroots last April... the first blooms were absolute gorgeous... now the floribunda has powdery mildew... the yellow grandiflora had aphids and japanese beatles... and I sprayed with soap (1 part dish soap - palmolive- and 10 parts water - I hve a book from Jackson and Perkins that teaches some non chemical things) . To my complete distress, I woke um this morning and this entire rose is completly burned... all the leaves are churned... I just cryed... it had 9 new blossoms and now I killed it... what can I do???

Thank God I didn't spray the others as much as this one... so today I washed all my other 4 roses and I hope they don't die also...

Is ther anything I should do???
look at my blog on how beautiful they were!!!!

https://ninoandlilly.blogspot.com/
thanks for your help!

[JPIXI]

Hello 2006kassia,

I wonder at what time of the day have you sprayed your roses? The best time is either early morning when there is still some dew on the feuillage and after sunset in the evening. While you spray your roses, make sure you do not let excessive spray drip into the soil. Always try to spray under the feuillage rather than on the upper surface of the feuillage.

Cut all black spot, rust feuillage away, either burn or throw them away. These infected feuillage will spread to other healthy plant.

Personally, I do not use that large amount of dish soap as you mentioned 1 part to 10 litres of water. For 5 litres of spray I often just put 2 to 3 teaspoon of very mild soap. If you are able to find vegetale soap it will be more ideal as they are biodegradable.

Your roses are still very young and they have used up energy in blooms, therefore they are more prone to diseases attract and pests bite. If you live in Europe, you should try to find out more usage of stinking nettles and comfrey which can be easily obtainable in UK. Take a look at our rose care forum for spray formulas, they are very economical and safe for the environment.

Cheers,
Pixi

[2006kassia]

Thanks for your reply!
I wet the roses first and then I sprayed,... it was a very humid day with no sun...actually it was late aftenoon.

I had so much soap left that it fell all around the ground... which I tryed to water and I am not sure what it will happen... should I try to fertilize again with blood meal, bone meal and alfafa pellets?

Tomorrow morning I will cut all the leafs, and try not to cry!!! I am in Massachusets, USA so what do you suggest I get? I have been reading this site and I am going to try your recipe for black spot and give it a try.

Our weather has been very humid lately which I think it makes things harder. But I will do my best. I am having more flower beds made so I can plant bareroots next year.

Thanks so much for your help!

[JPIXI]

Hello 2006kassia,

If you are spraying your roses in the late afternoon when there is no threat of burning sunlight you need not spray with water first. The reason for choosing the early part of the morning where there is still dew on the feuillage is because the dew will dilute the spray content as the waiting time of the strong sunlight is shorter compared to evening spraying.

Providing rose with any fertilizer will actually burn them and stress them more. You can apply 2 to 4 teaspoon of bone meal but certain NOT blood meal or alfalfa that will burn the rose in hot weather.

If you still face the problem of pests, I suggest you to try to something call "SAVON NOIR"(french) meaning Black Soap. It is made out of olive oil (from black olives) which is 100% végétal. We can easily find it in hardware shop in France. The main purpose of it is to clean stubborn stain in kitchen, however it is extremely effective as repellant on plants too. If you can find it, replace the soft soap with Savon Noir (half portion of soft soap used in spray melt in hot water).

You are at a very crucial period to recover your roses as we do not encourage any fertilizer after July or mid July. Your objective now is to stablize the roses condition and make them establish their roots to pass the winter safely.

I will provide the spray content here again for you:

For 5 litres of water (preferable rain water, for tape water, leave the water under sun to evaporate the chlorine)

1- 1 or 2 tsp of biocarbonate, or baking soda
2- 1 to 2 tsp of soft soap


Good luck.
Pixi

[2006kassia]

Oh my... I just gave my roses some fertilizer today... it's a miracle grow ... today I cut away all the burned leaves and left the few blosoms that looked ok... they opened and they look like miniature roses... so small... late in the afternoon I found 5 japanese bettles eating the porr little things... of course I pick them up and killed those little pests... and just watered my roses again... I just hope they come back next year... or if they don't I will buy new bare roots and give it another try... I hope they do come back... I will follow your suggestions and tomorrow I will really water the plants and try to wash out the fertilizer...
I really hope it works out!
Merci!