Every week? I thought the instructions said every 3 weeks. And I stop using it before my last fertilizing for the season.

I live in south Louisiana and it is too early yet to use messenger. The plants have to be growing to do any good. My plants are starting to grow but it is still too cold to do much good plus we have another cold front coming in this week. I would say down South here around 15 March would be a good time to start and Diane is correct, every three weeks of even just once a month would be ok.

I use it more sparingly than that. I apply it around every three months. I do, however, use Mimik bi-weekly in my spray program. Every now and again I concoct a trifecta of Messenger, Mimik, and Superthrive with nearly instant results.

Adrian.

Mimik? OK, Adrian, go make me search today. Is that a fungicide? for downy mildew?

I was told that it can impede the plant's growth if you use it more frequently than every 6 weeks.

Oops, I was mistaken.....didnt completely read directions. Will not use again for another month. Actually, I have seen some new growth on a very tiny Raymond Privat....this one has sat for months, no growth, and I sprayed Saturday. Am now seeing a couple of new leaves unfurl. Coincidence? Dont know....another couple of roses looked like they were making some changes too. Good thing I asked the forum! Thanks all!
Judith

I have got new leaves everywhere but it isn't even time to prune here for another week. Way to early to spray messenger IMO. I will wait until I see cane growth not just leaf growth.

There is an old saying that the right time to prune roses is when the Forsythia bloom. According to the American Rose Society, that saying is generally correct. There are numerous types of plants that should be pruned in the spring or summer instead of the winter. Some examples are roses, azaleas, camellias, sages, lavender, gardenias, wisteria, and Japanese Magnolias. No matter how kind you are to your plants, pruning is at least somewhat stressful to them. Messenger turns on your plants natural ability to deal with stress. So, applying Messenger prior to pruning is a great idea. It softens the stress of pruning, and also encourages new growth and flower buds!
Bottom line: Apply Messenger before you plan on pruning, ideally 3-7days in advance. This gives the plant time to get "turned on" and ready to deal with the stress associated with pruning, allowing it to bounce back quickly. Be sure to continue applying on a 3 week interval because Messenger also encourages new growh

I have used Messenger for the last three years on my roses. I spray every month during the growing season from April-September. I always make sure to only spray the tops of the bushes on the new growth as that is what it is intended for. It encourages the new growth to grow larger and hardier and aid in the formation of blooms. Don't waste it by spraying the entire bush as it will do no good down lower on older growth. That would be money down the drain.
My local nurseryman has told me that they are going to start carrying Messenger for sale there beginning this year. If the price is right I will purchase it from them instead of over the internet from Eden Bio-Science which is where I have been purchasing it for the last several years.
John

Why would I use the product on canes that are going to be pruned off? That does not sound cost effective. I can see applying it right after pruning, but not before.

Thanks Diane...that is what I was thinking too.

That post was a cut from the creators of Messinger. They promote that it goes into the plant. I dont know if what they say is true or not, but based on what they say, you should spray with it before you prune to get the rose off to a good start when you do prune. The chems are already in the rose ready to work.

The leaves draw it into the plant itself, so after spraying, as jont1 wrote, you can prune them. I sprayed just what I can reach on my crepe myrtles but the entire tree benefits, not just what I was able to hit with the spray.

Here is the pdf document from edenbio.com that jmorris271 was referring to.

Here is a link that might be useful: Prune Roses and Apply Messenger

and heres another article on an obsessed rose grower and what he uses for great roses.

Here is a link that might be useful: Profile of a Rose Obsession

Everything I have read from their web site says that the plant should be growing when you apply messenger. I try to prune before the plant starts growing so there is no stress on the plant. The prunning itself sends a signal to the plant to start growing and actually invigorates the plant. Spraying with messenger and getting the plant going and then prunning and cutting off everyting that the messenger has made grow makes no sense. They say that just spraying with messenger and having no food for the plant does little good. At the time of year that most people prune there is very little food available due to it being too cold. Maybe in the dessert where the roses do not go dormant that would work.

Patrick

I don't use it until after my first flush. I figure with the organics I have given them, the natural inclination of the plant to receive nutrition from the sun and earth at that time of year, give it a jump start, so after I get my first flush, I deadhead and use Messenger and fertilize.

Uh huh. Sorry, like pocajun, I'm not convinced. I have too many plants to waste such a pricey product on non-productive canes.

Let us know if you see a difference.