Controlling Pests & Diseases: A presentation by Stu Dalton

It’s been a very wild weather year for our roses, with summer temperatures in mid-March, and delayed rains in April. Our roses responded with early burnt-out blooms, and brown matted masses from the rain. Suburban agriculture can be tough some years.

Two things that profited from the weather were a large variety of fungal disease attacks and a feast for insect pests. What are we to do?

Peninsula Rose Society’s very own Stuart Dalton has years of experience dealing with fungal diseases such as Black Spot, Powdery Mildew, Rose Rust, Botrytis Blight, and Anthracnose Leaf Spot. He will give us practical steps for dealing with these foliar disease issues, and what to do now to prevent their recurring.

Stu is a Master Rosarian, and a UC Master Gardener. He is in high demand, and speaks several times a year at regional rose and garden societies.

It’s not just the Fungi Kingdom that’s been against us this year. In many gardens, the insect pests have been having an all-you-can-eat buffet. Stu will help us identify the usual suspects: aphids, sawfly larvae (aka rose slugs), thrips, spider mites, leaf miners, katydids, and rose weevils to name a few. Some attack roses by sucking vital juices, and others by chewing up leaves and buds. Once the pests are identified, we will get targeted information on their control via natural means or chemical warfare.

The rose bloom year is not lost! Mark your calendar now to learn how to make your garden thrive for a strong summer and fall.