Rose bush updates

I've got 3 issues with the rose bushes this year, so I'll address them each separately.

Aphids

The new rose bush intruder of 2013: aphids. I sprayed them a few times and haven't seen them since. Yay! 

Bristly Rose Slugs

Without fail, I spotted some leaf damage on both rose bushes (forget exactly when this was, sometime since May 15th, I guess); turned over the leaves to find my little wormy "friends" munching away. This year I didn't delay in spraying them with insecticidal soap. I did this a few times, and so far it seems to have worked very effectively as I haven't noticed any new damage. Seems that the key is to spray quickly as possible with these buggers!

Black Spot Disease

This is biggest question mark of this post. Last year I went and purchased some fungicide to treat the black spot disease on the hybrid tea rose bush. 

Daconil Fungicide

 I brought it home only to find that it should apparently be applied in the spring, at least I think that's what it's saying. The directions are horrible. Not only does it not say how to spray it on the plant or even what to spray (I assume they mean to spray the infected leaves?), but they give specific cryptic directions for rose bushes for the first application: "spring bud break". Um, what?

Spring bud break?

In any case, there is one flower in bloom right now (more buds on the way!), it's kind of spring - ok maybe a little late, but the black spot was spreading so a week or so ago I decided to just spray the infected leaves and see what happened. As far as I know nothing has really changed, but it doesn't seem like it has spread anymore either. I'm still monitoring, but this is what some of the leaves looked like as of a few days ago:

Hopefully it works because last year by the end of the season it hardly had any leaves left since they were all infected. It'd be nice to eradicate it for good somehow. I wish the instructions on the fungicide were better. I have no idea if I need to reapply or when or how or where.

Aphids attack rose buds

So far this year, I see no sign of black spot disease or bristly rose slugs (so far...), instead I've found an intruder that I've not seen on the rose bushes before: aphids (as usual, qualify that with a "what I believe to be...").

Aphids on a hybrid tea rose bud (grrr!)

Aphids on a knockout rose bud.

Aphid up close.

I've found them on both rose bushes (hybrid tea and knockout), and they seemed to favor the buds, which made them very easy to spot and spray with insecticidal soap. So far it seems to be doing the job.

I found this bit of information about aphids on a site I found while searching around that might explain why they're here:

When days become shorter in the fall, both males and females are born. They mate, and then females lay eggs on stems or in bark crevices. The eggs overwinter and hatch the following spring.

Last year there were some aphids semi-infesting a mandevilla I had planted near-by. I let them live since they weren't doing too much harm - needless to say I won't be making that mistake again!

First Mowing

Lawns have greened up quickly in the last week or so with the warmer weather. So I got out and mowed for the first time of the season yesterday. Although most of the lawn didn't need it yet, I mowed the front lawn anyway to mulch up some leaves from the oak that fall and gather on the lawn during the winter.

Here are some photos of the front yard (after mowing):

Most of this grass didn't need mowing

Lots of weeds

Note the patch of the dubbed "new invader" on the left (patch of lighter colored grass).

Not much growth here

Overall, not looking too great. Lots of weeds again due to thinned turf. And it seems like the new grass planted in the fall of 2011 is again being slow to green up. This lead to the fungus problems last year. I'm not about to let that happen again, so I decided to be more proactive this year and applied a generous portion of fertilizer along with a pre-emergent crabgrass application (which also contains fertilizer). I ended up putting down about 4 lbs of Endure Crabgrass Preventer Plus and about 6 lbs of Espoma Organic Lawn Food which in total comes to roughly 1.15 lbs N/1000 sq. ft. (0.475 from the Endure and 0.675 from the Espoma). I applied more liberally to the younger grass. In addition the Espoma also contains some Phosphate and Potash (8% and 6% respectively). Lots of rain is in the forecast, so we shall see how this turns out.

On to the backyard:

Still a sad sight in the backyard considering how nice it was last spring and early summer, but I have hope that I can get it back, even if I have to plant more seed this fall. It's knowing when to fertilize that's the tricky part.

In other news...

The phlox is sprouting:

I trimmed back the hydrangea tree again:

The hybrid tea rose bush is growing:

The hydrangea bushes are growing:

The Sedums are sprouting:

And it appears that the Boxwoods are doing just fine after last years drought as I see new growth on most of them (and flowering on some):

The second from the right is the most iffy.

I guess I haven't mentioned this before, but I lost one Holly bush due to the drought last summer (despite watering them). It's visible in the last two photos above (the middle Holly in the upper right of both photos). I'll have to replace it this year. I don't think I lost anything else due to the drought, thankfully.

That's all for now.

Blackspot and rose slugs. Again.

Both the black spot disease and bristly rose slugs are back again this year. The poor rose bushes just can't catch a break.

Diseased leafs

Both black spot and early signs of rose slugs.

What have we here?

Only the hybrid tea rose bush has the black spot disease, but both have the rose slugs. I immediately sprayed the slugs with the same insecticidal soap I used last year and haven't noticed anymore since.

I've also been clipping off and disposing of the leafs infected by the black spot disease, but honestly there's not many more leaves left, so I'm getting concerned. Hopefully it grows more soon. We have, however, been joying many beautiful blooms this year!

Black spot disease

This poor rose bush has been through a lot this year... from being transported in the mail, planted, becoming infested with bristly rose slugs (and having flour thrown all over it), and now this:

Black spot disease

Black spot disease

I trimmed off every leaf/stem that had it, which ended up being most of them, unfortunately. I hope it makes it (I feel like I say that about every one of our plants...).

Fourth bloom

Our hybrid tea rose bush planted back in April is in bloom yet again. I believe this is the fourth time this summer. Each time I am in awe of their beautiful colors, and am so glad that it's doing well where we planted it.