Letter from Dianne - Rose Rosette Disease

Hi Suzanne,

Are you familiar with "Rose Rosette Disease?" I have decided this is what my roses have. It started with the Knockouts last year. I noticed what appeared to be reddish new growth and lots of buds.

Reddish new growth

The red color never matured into green leaves but stayed red and twisted with lots of distorted buds and an elongated thick stem.

Elongated stems on roses

Whenever I would see this I would prune that area away. I did not realize that I should not have used that pruning shears on other rose bushes, as I believe that is what helped to spread the disease. It has now affected all of the Knockouts and has spread to my two David Austin roses. That is the extent of the rose bushes in my yard, with the exception of a lovely 10-year-old New Dawn.

I do not see symptoms on the New Dawn, but have read that it is highly susceptible.

In the information I've read, the disease is thought to be spread by a virus and there is no known cure, but no one seems to have definite answers. It is believed to have started with the wild multiflora rose, which is an invasive plant imported from Japan. Until just recently, these were present in the lot next to our yard, so I am assuming that is where my roses contracted it.

I wonder how widespread it is in this area. I have not heard of anyone complaining of it yet, but I do not know a lot of "rose people." In other parts of the country it is a big problem.

I am not real upset over losing the roses, as I have enjoyed them for many years and am ready for a change. However, I am partial to the New Dawn and hope that it stays disease free. It is so beautiful in the spring.

New Dawn roses in spring

 Dianne

(Read the University of Tennessee pamphlet on Rosette Rose disease here.)

Fun stuff

from Garden Tracker in the iTunes App Store

Monday's Wall Street Journal devoted the Technology section to The Best Way to Do Almost Anything on Your Mobile Devices.  Wowee!  The Be a Gardener section has apps for figuring out

• what to plant
• recording when you plant, water, fertilizer, and treat
• BUG IDENTIFIERS
• cooking and preserving what you grow

NOTE:  check the link quickly, I'm not sure it's a permalink.

At PAR Davies next year, we're going to experiment with a cloud-based program that will allow multiple users to input information into the same platform so that we can all see what everyone has done.

Finally, a friend turned me on to AppZilla (available in the iTunes app store.)  This app is a gateway to 120 (free) or 150 ($.99) other apps!  Color Detect lets you hold your device to a color and it will tell you the RPG.  Bubble Level lets you straighten all those crooked pictures in your doctor's office!  I foresee lots of exploring in my future...

Letter from Dianne 8/27/12

Refrigerator dills.  Garlic & jalapenos made these really flavorful.

Hi Suzanne,

Before I get into planting a fall garden, I will recap the summer crops…failures and successes. We were kept in tomatoes all summer, and I didn't have to buy a tomato from late May until now. The Early Girl was the most prolific followed by Black Cherry and Health Kick (plum). The World's Largest Tomato did well, but in my garden it did not live up to its name. Celebrity and Beefsteak did so-so. I have pruned dead vegetation from the tomatoes and they are all putting out a flush of new growth and lots of blossoms. I believe I will have a second crop before frost.



New flush of growth & blossoms on tomatoes

One big failure is the pole beans. Lots of foliage and blossoms, but the blossoms just fell off and we had only two meals of pole beans. After talking to an old timey gardener, I found out that they should have been planted in early April (the Good Friday planting), and actually this year could have been planted even earlier. Mine did not get in until the first week in May, and then it got hot fast. Pole beans don't like hot weather. So I will know better next year.

I will keep planting squash in the future, even though I know they will succumb to the vine borer. I got plenty of cucumbers before the bacterial wilt took over. The eggplant, okra and peppers are still doing well. I cut back the chard but it is not putting out new leaves, so it will be pulled.

I have a few open spaces now to start planting the fall garden. Some things I am considering are carrots, beets, parsnips, mustard greens, lettuce, kale, cabbage, brussels sprouts and cilantro; kohlrabi seeds have been ordered. I definitely need more room!! I will be trying a fall crop of snow peas, a new variety, Schweizer Riesen (Swiss Giant). I will report back on just how many of these items I am actually able to squeeze into my little space.

Okra & tomatoes standing tall

Habanero Shrub

No, it's not a pepper plant that grows into a shrub!  The speaker at last week's Herb Society meeting gave a program on shrubs, aciduated beverages made with fruit juices, sugar, and other ingredients.  Shrubs were popular before refrigeration, as a means to preserve fruits long past picking time.  They're used as a mix with other ingredients, like soda water or iced tea, to provide a pick-me-up.

They're usually made with berries such as blackberries, elderberries, blueberries and the like. The speaker provided a recipe for one made with habanero peppers!

Marion's Habanero Shrub

1/4 cup ripe blemish-free habanero peppers
1 cup apple cider vinegar
About 1 cup honey
2 tbsp cocoa (or to taste)
1/2 vanilla bean

If you're not that adventurous, try this Blackberry Shrub!

Blackberry Shrub

'Blue Ice' Arizona Cypress

'Blue Ice' Arizona Cypress

In the scorching summer heat, a glance at the cool powdery blue ‘Blue Ice’ Arizona Cypress  (Cupressus  arizonica var.  glabra ‘Blue Ice’) might give you a brief respite from the unmerciful temperatures. This fast growing, dense, pyramidal shaped conifer was selected as one of the “Best Woody Plants of 2007 “by the University of Tennessee. The University of Arkansas Agricultural Institute reports var. glabra cultivars are hardier than the species and their striking powder blue color, rapid growth and high resistance to insects and diseases make them a good alternative to the overused and disease prone Leyland Cypress and Redtip Photinea for screening.  

As a specimen plant or for screening, the ‘Blue Ice’ Cypress offers fabulous year round color. While it grows taller in the southwest Mexico, UT reports it reaches 15 ft tall and 7 ft. wide. Dark chocolate brown tightly scaled one inch cones remain on the tree for two years. The closely pressed scales on the lichen blue, needles appear soft to the touch. Smooth, continuously exfoliating dark brown outer bark reveals a cinnamon to deep red inner bark.  

Plant the ‘Blue Ice’ Arizona Cypress in elevated well drained sites that gets full sun. It prefers hot and dry conditions but is cold hardy to -5 degrees F. (University of Florida). It adapts to a variety of soil types. Water deeply and regularly during the first few years, but once established its drought tolerant and often recommended for xeriscaping.

There are over 30 Cupressus arizonica var. glabra varieties and several seem to be adapting well to the southeast. Cupressus arizonica var. glabra ‘Limelight’, was named one of the “Best Plants for 2008” by the West Tennessee Research and Education Center Gardens in Jackson, TN.  ‘Blue Ice,’ ‘Blue Pyramid,’ ‘Carolina Sapphire,’ and ‘Silver Smoke’ are recommended by the University of Arkansas Agricultural Division. NC State endorses the smaller and more open “Carolina Sapphire’ for Christmas tree farms as well as for a landscape plant. Many of the var. glabra cultivars have originated in Australia and New Zealand where this North American native has become a favorite of landscapers.

--Jan Castillo, MG '05

Long of Naples Squash

Last Friday I went to visit my dad, who lives on a small farm near Hardy, Arkansas.  That night we drove over to Thayer, Missouri where there is an auction every Friday night from 5:00 to 8:30.  I've been hearing about this auction for years; my father is a regular, both selling and buying.  Well, let me tell you:  it was fabulous.  They sold everything from produce to power tools, from jelly to air conditioners.  And the prices!  We bought a brand-new 10" Ryobi table saw, with stand and dust bag for $100.  My son was ecstatic.

What does this have to do with Long of Naples Squash?  When we walked in, sitting on a table were two of the biggest vegetables I've ever seen:

Can you believe it?  The auctioneer called it a Naples Squash.  He said it had meat like a sweet potato and that the lady in the concession stand had made a wonderful squash pie.  By the time I got to the stand, the pie was gone, boo hoo.  You can see how big it is - it weighed about 45 pounds and it sold for $15.  Now I wish I'd bought one!

After I got home I did a little research.  The actual name is Long of Naples Squash (C. moschata.)  It's an Italian heirloom squash, rare in the United States.  The seeds are all at one end, leaving the rest of the squash total meat.

www.beyondthekitchenwall.net

Is this not totally cool?  I told the lady in the concession stand to save the seeds and bring them to the auction and I asked my dad to keep an eye open for them.  But they're commercially available (Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, for one), so that's my backup.  

Can you just taste a squash soup made with this delicious looking vegetable?  Yum!

By the way, this same auction owner does an auction twice a week in Jonesboro, AR - only about an hour from here.  I highly recommend trying it sometime!

Organic Gardening Class at Davies Plant-A-Row