Question
Hi, just a quick question.   I read your homemade solution for black spot, baking soda and dish detergent mixed in water.  The wording of your answer to another reader was a little unclear to me, so I just wanted to verify that the baking soda and dish detergent are to be mixed in the same bucket.  Is that correct?

The roses in question are my David Austin "Mary Rose", which had been VERY vigorous for about ten years....I'd have 75-100 buds per plant in the spring.  The last couple of years they were neglected...I was pregnant and didn't want to be spraying chemicals (Yes I know now, I shouldn't have been spraying them ANYWAY, but at least I had sense enough not to do it when I was pregnant) and last summer the baby was too small for me to get out much.  So my once vigorous roses are looking sad....and in need of some TLC.  I just purchased some Messenger on your recommendation and will be applying it today.  Thanks in advance for your help!!  

Laura in Michigan


Answer
The Baking Soda and Soap are mixed together, yes.  Remember, this is to PREVENT Fungi BEFORE they attack.  Any Blackspot you see now is there and irreversible.  The leaves that are yellow and black will not turn green again this Summer.  NO Fungicide can do that.

Nice progress with your chemicals epiphany.  The chemicals are completely unnecessary and we know too much now about horticulture to keep using them.  But it doesn't stop most people.

The Messenger is getting American Rose Society endorsement this year.  Highly effective and a very cool invention.  EPA rules keep them from advertising properly.  Must register it as a 'pesticide' (which it is not) and other things, plus there is a registration fee in every state and lots of other red tape I was not aware of.  Scotts would have this on the shelves at every 7-Eleven in the country by now.  But in some states they can't even sell it yet.

The key to a good Rose spray program is a good sprayer.  Splurge on a great, easy sprayer that makes it easy to use.  It won't clog or break down and you'll use it when you have to.  Your Rose will recover nicely, I'm sure.

What a wonderful thing to do with your baby.

In 2 or 3 years may I recommend you plant your first baby minicarrots.  They mature quickly and the children can i.d. them easily -- lacy foliage and familiar cartoon object.  They rinse and munch.  Biggest problem is keeping the children from eating too many carrots (it happens -- easy to do with more than one glass of carrot juice a day).

Good luck, keep me posted.