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1. Keep up your spray program for black spot and mildew. When the temperature drops
below 70 degrees, start watching for the telltale wrinkled new foliage and distorted bloom
buds caused by mildew. It is best not to wait until the new leaves turn white or you will be
too late for prevention.
2. During the month of October we begin to notice tiny yellowish green bugs with black
spots flying around which have a shape similar to ladybugs. They are called Spotted
Cucumber Beetles. And unlike ladybugs, which are beneficial, they are very destructive.
The insect is greenish yellow with a small head and has about eleven block spots on their
back. Cucumber Beetle’s diet are not restricted to just cucumbers, they feed on many
other plants, even the rose. They really like the light colored ones, chewing holes in the
buds and blooms. Cucumber beetles are very difficult to control. Spraying the blooms
with Mavrik (¼ tsp per gallon of water) or with Sevin will help control them some. Some
rosarians keep a quart size hand sprayer filled with Orthene (now sold as��Ortho
Systemic Insect Killer -��the main ingredient is Acephate) and spray
the buds as soon as color can be seen.
3. The blooms should be misted every few days for better control. When the shows are
over, stop cutting old blooms. If you do cut, take short stems. Cutting blooms is just the
same as pruning and encourages the bush to keep putting on new growth when it should
be going into dormancy.
4. Preparing the soil for future rose beds can be started now by digging in barnyard
manure, pine needles, anything of organic nature to provide decaying humus for better
tilth in the soil. It is not too early to think about winter protection. What do you plan to
use? It may be a good idea to start gathering material to have ready if an early
freeze occurs.
5. Continue to water if needed. We may still have warm windy days that will dry the soil.
Don’t let weeds to seed in your rose beds. It will multiply your weed
problems next year if you let them seed themselves.
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