Posts Tagged ‘roses’
Rose Hips – Identification
Q: I moved into a home with some existing rose bushes. One of them has several marble sized orange-red ball things on it. Can you tell me what they are? A: You’re seeing the rose seedpods, known as “hips”. You...
Rose Sawfly – Identification
Q: My Knockout roses are pretty hardy, but something is decimating them, right down to the veins. There are little green worms, maybe caterpillars? They are coiled into a C shape, and there are several on each branch. A: You...
Daphne – Poisonous
Q: Is Daphne odora poisonous to humans? It makes a beautifully scented water that tastes great when you sip it. I didn’t sip much just in case. I’m not nuts, really. A: I don’t think sipping the water is a...
Roses- Location
Q: My husband and I are contemplating a move to St. Mary’s from Lake Pontchartrain. Although roses will grow here, they don’t thrive. How do roses do in coastal Georgia? A: Roses grow very well in south Georgia, as long...
Chili Thrips – Identification
Q: My gardener friends in Florida are all excited about a new pest of roses: chili thrips. Do we have them here? A: We don’t yet have them here, and thank goodness for that! Chili thrips chew on plant leaves...
Rose – Budworm
Q: Many of my rose flowers look like the buds are being eaten before they completely open. Just pink petals around a gooey brown center. A: I think you have an infestation of tobacco budworm. Despite its name, this caterpillar...
Roses- Fragrance
Q: Where can I get roses that actually smell like roses? I am tired of smelling nothing! Why do growers breed the fragrance out of roses? A: Rosarian Jim Kelley says the rose breeders do not intentionally “breed out” fragrance....
Dogwood – Powdery Mildew Identification
Q: I have a beautiful dogwood tree that reaches to the second floor deck. It looks really healthy, but today I noticed white spots on the leaves. A: Your dogwood has powdery mildew. Powdery mildew is a common disease of...
Cypress mulch – Roses
Q: Is cypress mulch good for roses? Would it have any bad effects? A: Cypress mulch won’t hurt your roses but I hope you won’t buy any more of it. One of the causes of the devastation of Hurricane Katrina...
Zoysia Lawn Care
Q: I have a large zoysia lawn. I’m looking for the best type of pre-emerge to put down now. Is 5-10-15 the way to go? A: I am totally against fertilizing zoysia, bermuda, centipede or St. Augustine lawns when they...
Rose Buds – Protecting and Treating
Q: Many of my rose flowers look like the buds are being eaten before they completely open. Just pink petals around a gooey brown center. A: I think you have an infestation of tobacco budworm. Despite its name, this caterpillar...
Climbing and Shrub Roses – Pruning
Q: I have climbing and shrub roses. Do I need to cut them back to short canes and mound mulch for the winter? A: Unlike in the northern US, roses here don’t need much more than “neatening up” for winter....
Pest Larvare – Cold Enough to Kill?
Q: Has it been cold enough, long enough this winter to kill the larvae of roaches, fleas, ticks and mosquitoes? A: Whenever we have a cold winter gardeners wishfully hope that the frigid temperatures will diminish the insects they’ll face...
Hellebore Plants – Thinning Them
Q: I have a thick carpet of seedlings under my hellebore plants. Should I thin them out or just let nature take its course? A: Perhaps they compete in a small way with the mother plant but I usually let...
Roses – Banana Peel Providing Benefits
Q: Martha Stewart says roses love banana peels. How would I use them on my seven roses? What do they get from the peels? A: Martha is a knowledgeable gardener but I think she got carried away when she extolled...
Mulch – Reusing
Q: You suggest that we replace all mulch under roses. Can we reuse the old mulch elsewhere? We’ve got a ton of hardwood mulch under our roses and I can’t imagine throwing all that away. A: I like your recycling...
Climbing Knockout Roses
Q: Any chance there’s a climbing Knockout (editor note: Knockout is not a variety name so it is not single-quoted.) rose in the works? My shrub Knockouts have done so well, that’s the only way I’ll go at this point...
Rose Trees – Winter Care
Q: I have two lovely rose trees in pots that did very well this summer. They are five feet tall and two feet wide. As cold weather arrives, should I cut them back? Should I bring them inside for the...
