I do understand, lol! Congrats! Can't wait to see pictures of those blooms!

CONGRATULATIONS!

jERI

Thanks! I know I'm being silly, but I'm zone pushing with this one, so it's extra gratifying to see it happen.

When the heat of summer ends, many roses are ready to start growing again. Congrats, and we look forward to photos of the blooms when they appear! :)

I got Austin Eglantyne in the mail this summer badly black-spot with spider mites. The black spot cleared up when I mulched with horse manure, but spider mites stunted Eglantyne's growth. I kept cutting the brown branch off, but mites kept weaving white-cotton web. Finally I doused the whole branch in 91% alcohol. That DID IT! Eglantyne finally grew at last.

I'm happy for your P4S Basal Break and triumph over spider mites.

Isn't it great how Fall is really Spring? My roses are putting out basal breaks and buds, and right now I have to run out and do my "all of the new growth needs to be sprayed with deer stuff" routine, which I have to do every other day or so, the roses are growing so fast. A doe and THREE yearling fawns took up residence in the wild back of our property last week, and every night they wake up and munch, munch. They do not touch the stuff I have sprayed with the horrible smelling (rotten eggs) spray, however.

Jackie

Jacqueline3: I love your rotten-egg idea, thanks. I found a deer eating my petunias when we first moved here. Thanks for informing me (in a different thread) about putting a dish of water on the ground to keep raccoons away. I'm doing it for rabbit-control. They eat flowers for water, and in a wet year - they leave my plants alone.

Black spot or spider mites--I'm not sure which is worse. I can't imagine having both at the same time! I wish it were triumph. I'm sure they'll be back next year, but I plan on using horticultural oil early in the spring to reduce their numbers right off the bat. I wish I had done that this year.

Most of the plants/roses I have are heat tolerant, and bloom during the summer. Pickering Four Seasons is the only one that will probably go dormant. It was so young and small, and with the spider mites, all summer I was expecting it to kick the bucket. But it hung in there!

Roses are pretty tough. Not only my Eglantyne came in the mail with bad black spots AND spider-mites in July, I dug her up 3 times to fix a drainage problem. Dusting with corn meal and mulching with horse manure solved black spots, 91% alcohol and beneficial lacewings took care of the mites. Here is how Austin Eglantyne looks today, at 30 degrees freezing rain weather:

{{gwi:314212}}

I'll plant more Calendula perennial flowers for nectar to feed Lacewings. The Lacewings' larvae are referred to as aphid lions. Each larvae eats more than 200 bugs a week. The white stuff on the leaves is corn meal, dusted since August 1. It takes at least a month for the beneficial Trichoderma fungi in corn meal to defeat black spot fungi.

"Lacewing larvae feed on many different pest insects. In general, they attack the eggs and the immature stages of most soft-bodied pests such as: aphids, thrips, spider mites, sweet potato & greenhouse whitefly, mealybugs, leafhoppers, and the eggs and caterpillars of most pest moths." The adult Lacewing is a flying insect which feeds on nectar and pollen of flowers.

bellegallica,
I know exactly what you mean, too. and especially after such a hard summer that you all have had, any sign of life is more than thrilling. Congratulations, truly.

Thanks for all the congrats. The rose deserves it more than I do, but I'm happy to accept on its behalf. :-)

Strawberryhill, I read your other post about organic rose growing. I made a note of trying corn meal--interesting that it should be whole grain.

I read a tip last week for spider mites in a Dianthus book. Mix one ounce (6 teaspoons) of salt in one gallon of water and spray. It's not supposed to harm the foliage (of dianthus anyway, not sure about roses). Don't know if it would work on the eggs.

But, like you, I need to grow more flowers that attract beneficials. Are you talking about Calendula officinalis? Pot Marigold? I will definitely give that a try next year.

Yes, Belle, it's Calendula or Pot Marigold. It's my Mom favorite among the hundreds on perennials grown on her 5-acre lot in Michigan. Calendula self-seeds itself in cold climate. It blooms past frost. In blazing August heat above 90's, it blooms without any watering. It's very drought tolerant, and you would be amazed at the many medicinal values it has. The petals are edible and can be used in salads.