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esther_b

Tired of dealing with blackspot--what mini is more resistant???

esther_b
12 years ago

I have struggled for 3 years with my grocery store rescue mini roses. They have beautiful flowers in my little raised bed outdoors, but sure as shooting, they always come down with dreadful blackspot which eventually knocks off all the leaves. Yeah, I water them from below. Yeah, I have tried various sprays. Yeah, I picked off all the affected leaves and threw them away far from the roses. Nothing has helped.

So--what multi-hued varieties of mini rose could I order online which are more blackspot resistant??

Thank you.

Comments (10)

  • trospero
    12 years ago

    Cal Poly, Apricot Twist, Magic Wand, Sweet Chariot, Popcorn, Little Meghan, Blue Mist, Unconditional Love, and Cinderella have all shown superior resistance to Blackspot in my climate. I am likely forgetting one or two others and will list them when/if I think of them) Of the 400 or so other miniature varieties I grow, these are the clear standouts as far as Blackspot resistance goes; most others suffer to some degree from the disease. Many of that 400 suffer from disease quite badly unless treated with fungicide. Your experience might vary, since disease issues are climate/region specific.

    The grocery store "disposables" were never bred to have disease resistance, since they were intended for greenhouse conditions where fungicide treatment is a given.

  • esther_b
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Argh! Looks like all of your blackspot resistant varieties (and I thank you) are not the kind of roses I like. I like the "tea rose" look, and I like the bicolors, the pinks or corals tinged with yellow, etc. Most of your blackspot resistant roses seem to be the single rose, like the original wild roses. Are there any that are of the "tea rose" type which will be blackspot resistant? Or am I asking for the moon?

  • trospero
    12 years ago

    You mean 'Apricot Twist' isn't "Tea rose" enough for your tastes? I'm surprised, I would have thought it would be right on the money:

  • esther_b
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Oh yes, Apricot Twist is just the shape I like. Are there any bicolor ones like that which are blackspot resistant?

    My 3 blackspot-prone minis are in a raised bed. When hopefully I get 3 NEW minis which are blackspot resistant, would planting the old minis in pots help reduce the blackspot? Or should I just toss 'em? I hate throwing away live plants.

  • trospero
    12 years ago

    Hi Esther,
    I can't think of any bicolored varieties that are anywhere near as Blackspot free as the ones I have noted. However, there is a possibility that 'Magic Carousel' might do well in your region. The climate conditions that affect severity of Blackspot infection is different in NY then it is in coastal OR, so 'Magic Carousel' might be great in your area. Here, it does lose some foliage from disease, but many growers report that it is one of their best selections, so it might be worth trying.

    As I mentioned earlier, the grocery store mini roses were bred for greenhouse cultivation, not the open garden. It is highly unlikely there is anything you can do, cultivation-techniques wise, that will improve their resistance to Blackspot. If you have found that sprays won't control the disease, then you would be best to relegate these plants to a windowsill where they won't get their leaves wet, ever or just chalk it up to a learning experience and toss them out.

  • esther_b
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I don't have room in my windowsill for these 3 minis, my windowsill being full of succulents and cacti. I really HATE throwing them out, makes me feel like an ax murderer. But I just can't go through another summer spraying and spraying and watching the leaves fall off. Would I have to replace all the soil in the raised planter they're in if I get new resistant minis?

  • trospero
    12 years ago

    "Would I have to replace all the soil in the raised planter they're in if I get new resistant minis?"

    That isn't necessary, no. Unless of course, the soil is already over 2 years old, in which case a refresh would be wise; typical potting soil mixes don't perform well after about two years, since they tend to lose all their nutrients quite quickly.

  • seil zone 6b MI
    11 years ago

    I don't know of any minis that are black spot proof. Most will indeed spot to some degree. I have upwards of 40 of them now and they all spot. The ones with the most resistance are usually not the exhibition form you are looking for but the more decorative/garden pom-pom shape. The most spot resistant one I have is called Softee.

    If you are growing them in containers you will need to fertilize them more frequently than you would for ones grown in the ground. As Trospero said some of the nutrients are washed out through the pots so you need to add fertilizer more often.

  • esther_b
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Are regular roses more blackspot resistant? Maybe I'd be better off planting 2 regular rosebushes instead of 4 minis.

  • lookin4you2xist
    11 years ago

    I grow in New Milford PA - I have another year till I can really help.

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