Avant Gardener: A rose by any other name would smell as sweet...to a Japanese beetle

  • By Kyle Valentini
  • April 17, 2011
  • 347
                        
Summary: Now is the time to prune roses, amend the soil and take measures to reduce Japanese beetle populations before they become a problem in June. Take care now so in June you have glorious roses that will continue to bloom until autumn. Last spring I cut my knock-out roses back a little too far and they never seemed to thrive. They bloomed and looked beautiful but they were smaller than usual and their shape was a little wild. In the fall I mulched them with shredded leaves and the dried cuttings from the various ornamental grasses in the yard. Winter was wet and cold and icy and downright miserable. I doubt I need to remind you. Despite this the roses fared pretty well. Two weeks ago I noticed new growth on them and figured it was time to trim them back a bit. I was a little more careful this time. I cut the dead stuff out and they looked surprisingly good. I was able to shape them nicely and they no longer looked like they belonged in the landscaping of a haunted house. Some gardeners swear by Epsom salts when fertilizing roses. Not salt at all, but magnesium sulfate, Epsom salts has not been scientifically proven to aid in growth. Epsom salts contain sulfur and magnesium. Most soil in our region isn’t lacking in sulfur thanks to the over abundance of coal-burning power plants. Acid rain keeps sulfur levels in the soil high. Magnesium deficiency in soil is unlikely as I would have noticed signs of it in the form of pale or deformed leaves and blossom rot. Magnesium sinks low in the soil and is brought back to the surface through tree roots. I often mulch with shredded leaves and put the magnesium back that way. The last time I bought Epsom salts was back when drug stores still had soda fountains and Brioschi was a household name. If you want to sprinkle Epsom salts around your roses, go ahead. It won’t hurt. Folklore is always a step ahead of science where the garden is concerned. I amend the soil for the roses with compost. I like the term dressing when it comes to applying compost to plants. Top dressing isn’t glamorous and requires no special techniques. Compost; however is the little black dress in the garden. Every garden needs it. Compost is what remains after hundreds of different organisms including bacteria, fungi, worms and insects break down organic materials. When you amend the soil with compost you emulate nature and that does not come in a bottle or bag developed in a laboratory by companies that also make mistakes like DDT and Agent Orange. Compost is putting back what you take out when you choose to grow specific plants. In the last two weeks the new growth on the roses is abundant and lush. Between now and bloom time, the roses may need a bit more shaping but that is about all. The next challenge will be keeping the Japanese beetles at bay. Applying Milky Spore powder to the yard and garden now will kill the grubs that will become the easily identifiable Japanese beetles that damage and often kill roses. Each grub that dies from Milky Spore disease decays and releases three billion new spores. Once all of the grubs are destroyed, the spore will remain dormant but viable in the soil until new grubs come along even years later. Japanese beetle traps attract more beetles than they trap and I recommend saving your money. If you do notice Japanese beetles on your roses, hand-pick them off, place them in a bucket of soapy water and call it a day. You may have to hand-pick them daily until they disappear from your landscape. It is best to hand-pick them in the morning as they tend to be more sluggish.


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