I see that I have a battle on my hands this summer. I've already sprayed the roses against the greenfly that were trying to suck the life out of them - I'd hoped that the
hoverflies and other greenfly hunters would do the job but I expect there is a limit to their appetite and the size of their little stomachs. Yet, despite only recently spraying, there are signs of aphid invasion yet again. Compassion and Iceberg climbers are both the most problematic and they both suffer from blackspot too. The greenfly, at the moment, are just appearing in little outbreaks on the soft pink new growths here and there. I am treating them by giving them an affectionate and gentle squeeze which doesn't harm the plant but the insects feel quite crushed about it.
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| Greenfly, aphids, on Compassion climbing rose, June 2013 |
Blackspot is rife and causing a lot of ugly leaf fall.
Compassion,
Iceberg,
Golden Showers,
Champagne Moment, and
Carefree Days are sporting ugly black spots despite my spraying with a fungicide.
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| Golden Showers climbing rose - blackspot |
And if that is not enough, something is munching holes in some leaves and something else is causing leaf curl on the Sir John Betjeman rose. There is no sign of disease, insect, no mildew so maybe it is just a physical problem with the rose itself. It doesn't appear to be leaf-rolling sawfly that I can tell. I shall have to keep a close watch on this one.
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| Leaf curl on Sir John Betjeman rose |
I sprayed against mildew the other day and so far so good but I wouldn't put money on that not arriving any time soon. Oddly enough, the plant that is supposed to be about the most susceptible to problems,
Zephirine Drouhin, is doing very nicely and healthily, thank you. I remember about this time last year that the
roses at the Royal Horticultural Society garden centre, in Harlow Carr, were thick with greenfly.
One rose that never let's me down (I do hope I am not speaking too soon here) is the delightfully healthy and beautiful Arthur Bell. If you like yellow roses, I would try it. I have a border the width of the front of my home planted with a row of them. I keep checking but there is no sign of greenfly, leaf-rolling, mildew, blackspot, or anything else that can spoil its beautify. They are just full of healthy, shiny leaves and developing buds.
Arthur Bell is a Floribunda rose that has received the Royal Horticultural Society 'Award of Garden Merit' (external link to RHS).
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| Arthur Bell rose - 2012 |
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| Arthur Bell rosebud - 2012 |
