During the month of May, you are about the middle of the first bloom cycle. If you show roses, you have been most likely babying and protecting your prize blooms for show, if not you have been like me and just enjoying the view. There is nothing like taking a stroll through your garden and clipping a few roses and a few other pieces of greenery to make a hand held bouquet, then sneaking into the house to give it to the one you love. I love to watch Ms. Janet’s eyes light up when I manage to get this done before she sees me.
Keep up your spray program this month because black spot and powdery mildew never rest. The best fungicides that I have found for my area are Immunox and Mancozeb. Funginex and Bannermax are two more that work well too. I still spray once a week just because my garden seems to be a place where black spot loves to live. I really don’t have a problem with powdery mildew or maybe I just have the upper hand on it.
This is a good time to check periodically for spider mites. I usually just wash them off with a sharp blast from the water hose. If you happen to have a bad case and need to use a chemical spray, I recommend permethrin, a product named Avid, and I have heard of a product named Cinnamite. I have not tried the latter.
During the month of May, I like to give each bush a cup of 13-13-13 and about 3 tablespoons of Epsom Salts, smaller bushes about half that amount. I sprinkle it around the drip line and scratch it in the soil. I also still use Monty’s Joy Juice in my mix when I spray the fungicides.
If you have never attended a rose show I urge you to do so. The Northeast Mississippi Rose Society will have their Annual Rose Show at the Renasant Bank Lobby on Troy Street, Downtown Tupelo, MS on May 5th, 2011 from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM. If you think you would like to be an exhibitor, please arrive with your roses by 8:30 AM.
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