Telepathic Blackspot Message

Winter Garden Option

 

Wanda, Dedicated Blackspot Eradicator

If I’m not thinking about spider mites I’m thinking about blackspot. Now it’s been too cool in North Texas and we have had too much rain for spider mites so you guessed it, what am I thinking about? Blackspot.  I was thinking about blackspot so powerfully yesterday morning I sent a telepathic message to Wanda, my rose garden aficionado and former student who frankly has surpassed me in dedication and she did it yesterday.  Wanda  got up at 5:00 AM,  before it was light and sprayed her roses. That’s what I am looking for folks, dedication. Remember I said roses are not the problem, people are. That’s not the way that statement should be said. It’s more like this; people are not exactly the problem, people not wanting to do what they need to do when they need to do it is the problem, but not with Wanda.  That’s because she is Wanda and Wanda gets it.  She said “my mother is coming into town for my birthday and she cannot come into town and see blackspot on these roses.” Now can I get a solid amen to that sisters and brothers? I would hope so. That’s while I was blogging away about how to build a greenhouse to protect her plants because she had asked me when the plans were going to be available because she needed them so her plants wouldn’t freeze before I got the plans posted.  So here’s your October rose schedule:

 Continue your regular spraying program until there is a frost and as long as you are getting new growth    

Continue your watering program

Do not fertilize your roses again until spring

You can cut blooms for special occasions but now you should allow the plant to make rose hips by leaving the spent bloom on the plant. This starts the dormancy process and allows the plant to harden off.

Now that we have essentially put our roses “to bed” we can think about planning our transition gardens and new roses to order for next year.    

The next topic we will visit is building the greenhouse and my daughter-in-law Tanna has chosen a garden that she will photograph before and after shots that OUI will engage the OUI ones in digging and planting a transition garden with beautiful perennials that will stay beautiful and green for the winter and maybe we will find a Christmas Camilla that will bloom at Christmas.