The Beetle War of 2024 is raging on. They are out in full force now. They don't seem to be very selective this year and they have been spotted (and killed) on bushes that they have ignored in the past (like Kardinal and Olympiad). One rose they don't like at all is Clair Elyse. I've seen sone foliage damage on Clair but don't ever recall seeing a beetle in the bloom. Which is great as it is one of my favorites and an outstanding rose.
I finally got around to spraying yesterday using my new sprayer - a 4-gallon battery powered wheel/cart sprayer from Petra Tools. It's going to take me a while to learn all the ins and outs of it but it sure was nice not having to do any pumping. It sure puts out a lot of spray - it took 6 gallons to do the gardens whereas my old sprayer was no more than 4 gallons. I'm sure I'll get the hang of it as I use it more. I really needed to spray as there is some blackspot evidence on a few bushes (Sexy Rexy being the main culprit). I'll get more regular with the spraying going forward.
All the bushes in the South Garden have been given Alfalfa Tea. The impact is already noticeable - that being longer and straighter stems. First wave was applied 11 days ago. In the North Garden I gave everything a gallon or so of Mills Easy Feed. I'll reverse those in the net couple weeks so both gardens get the same in the end.
Yesterday we cut one rose to display in the house - Perfectly Red. Just two stems have 11 total blooms - both in a candelabra fashion - all being roughly the same size, height and bloom age (I disbudded the terminal bud to create the spays). Had there been a rose show one of these sprays would be a contender for Best in Show honors. Perfectly Red is not widely grown or available, but it is an underrated Keith Zary Hybrid Tea that is simply outstanding in my garden. Great vigor, long straight stems, very good form, and deep red color - the blooms last a long time in the vase or on the bush. Moderately fragrant for me - my wife says more than moderate.
