
Question:
I’m looking to replace several older roses this year. Which roses are more resistant to rust, mold, and other problems?Answer:
- Rust, Mildew, and Black Spots are the primary fungus diseases that plague Bay Area roses.
- Hybrid Tea, Grandiflora, and Floribunda varieties are the most susceptible. Rose varieties introduced this century are more resistant than earlier ones, but none are disease-free.
- The very popular Floral Carpet Roses, David Austin Roses, Knockout family, and landscape roses are disease-free.
- The factors contributing to Rust, Mildew, and Black Spot on roses are here. Mild nighttime temperatures and moisture on the foliage after the sun goes down are the keys to all these diseases.
- In addition, removing all the debris around the bushes after pruning is recommended to eliminate the over-wintering fungal spores. With the new foliage emerging and the spring rains, Rust, Mildew, and Black Spot are a concern.
- You need to apply your fungicides before the problem occurs. Applying a fungicide when the disease(s) are present doesn't solve the problem. The fungal spores infect the bushes twelve to eighteen days before the problem appears on the foliage.
- While there are plenty of rose disease controls available, these products will not eradicate the problem. They return when the right conditions occur.
- Fortunately, today, we have several systemic fungicides that solve these diseases. Bonide System Drench and Bayer Advance All In One for Roses are two products. They are best applied when the new growth is at least an inch long, and rain is in the long-range forecast.
- They'll protect roses for six weeks. Bonide System Drench and Bayer Advance All In One for Roses are liquids you apply to your roses' base.
- Bayer Advance All In One for Roses granular is also available. If you're an organic gardener, these products are not for you.
- Again, the organic control success depends on how wet of a spring we have.
- After the rainy season concludes, watering the foliage in the late afternoons or those areas with an afternoon marine influence prolongs the problems into the summer and fall months.
- You have a high probability of having disease-free roses with systemic roses products.
Question:
My Plum tree has stopped producing. The trees have been quite productive but were a big disappointment last year. How do I correct things this year?Answer:
- Plums produce fruit on the second-year wood. If the trees are pruned too severely, the fruiting spurs are removed. This is probably the number one reason deciduous fruit trees fail to set fruit. There are other reasons, but they don't apply to your trees.
- Generally, you should remove fifteen to twenty-five percent of the annual growth.
- The fruiting spurs are easy to detect. Those branches with buds clustered in a grouping of three or more are the fruiting buds.
- These stems are darker color than the one-year-old growth, which is a lighter color and has single buds. The good news is the tree's productivity will return once the pruning technique changes.