Rose Blogs

Any rose gardener will tell you of the nightmares he’s had of his beautiful roses being ruined by mildew. There are different types of mildew but the one found most commonly is the powdery mildew. This is caused by the sphaerotheca pannosa var rosae fungus. Powdery mildew can be identified by the white or grayish powdery growth on the leaves, shoots, buds, and it is sometimes even found on the petals of roses. They start as small patches and the mildew spreads in white strands across the plant’s foliage. Since the fungus draws moisture and nutrients from the leaves, the leaves start crinkling and falling.

It is commonly believed that powdery mildew is directly caused by the presence of free water on surfaces of the plant, but this is not so. Instead it seems to thrive in hot, dry weather. Direct overhead watering sometime in the middle of the day may actually help the plant by breaking up spores that are released during the day. Fungicides may also be effective, although their application must be well timed and careful.

The next most common type of mildew is downy mildew. The Peronospora sparsa fungus causes downy mildew. Unlike powdery mildew, downy mildew spreads faster in moist and humid conditions. Downy mildew is usually found under the leaves of the plant. Other characteristics of downy mildew are purple, red, or brown spots on leaves, usually followed by the leaves turning yellow and then falling off. Downy mildew is difficult to control. Fungicides do not affect them much, although regular trimming to increase air circulation and reduce humidity can be helpful.

If you prefer gardening without the use of strong fungicides, here are three simple ways to rid your prized roses of these common types of mildew.

Prune, prune and prune some more! Pruning is one of the simplest methods to keep your plants healthy and vigorous, and at the same time prevent the formation of mildew on your prized roses. Adopting good pruning techniques will allow your roses to receive good air circulation and even out sun light distribution, which is very crucial for preventing mildew. During the pruning season, the plants are dormant and you must prune each plant, cutting above new buds so that growth is directed outward. Inspect your roses carefully on a regular basis all through the growing season. Chop off any dead or diseased shoots or stems. Carefully get rid of the rose debris either by burning it, or sealing it tightly in a bag so that it cannot spread disease. Also, when you are deciding how to place your plants, make sure your rose bushes are spaced appropriately. It is advisable to space hybrid tea roses at 3 ft distances, and bigger rose bushes 4 feet apart. This allows the rose plants to dry faster between watering, and thus prevents conditions that make them more prone to mildew. Ensure that your plant receives enough sunlight. Rose plants that are not exposed to enough light will produce thin leaves, be much more prone to nutrient deficiency, and as a consequence become ideal candidates for developing mildew.

Water your roses carefully. Your method of watering is crucial in preventing the growth and spread of mildew. To prevent mildew, abundantly water your roses at the root level, especially during hot weather. Try to prevent water from getting and settling onto leaves, especially before night falls. Most importantly, ensure that you are watering regularly. Rose plants that are receiving insufficient water at the root level will tend to become dehydrated. Dehydration is one of the most common triggers for mildew fungi.

Try preparing this easy home remedy for your roses. Some gardeners swear by the strong power of stinging nettle. Make a spray of stinging nettle by gathering stinging nettle, putting them in a sack or old pillowcase, and then crushing the leaves. Place the bag in a bucket of water in a warm place and leave it there for around a week. After that, strain the stinging nettle concentrate, and dilute it by adding five parts water. Pour this solution into a spray bottle and spray your rose plants with it every alternate week.

If you can’t find stinging nettles, try this easy to make solution based on baking soda for fighting off mildew. You will require:

• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil

• 1 gallon of water

• 1 tsp regular-flavored Listerine

• 1 Tbsp liquid soap

• 1 ½ Tbsp baking soda

• 1 Tbsp vinegar

Mix one cup of water with soap, baking soda, Listerine, and vinegar. Add this to one gallon of water, and pour this solution into a plant sprayer. Shake it well so that the ingredients combine. Spray your rose bushes till they are thoroughly saturated.