"dina" wrote in message
...
'Spider[_2_ Wrote:
;842667']"dina" wrote in message
...-
snipped -
You may like to test a (so far successful) theory of mine, and give
it
an
acid feed. Pick off all the infected leaves first. I do this with
all my
infected roses, usually about once a year or just when the infection
starts
to creep back. It completely changed the life forecast for one of my
roses
(which defoliated 2-3 times a year due to blackspot); I was on the
verge of
binning it. Now everyone asks what it is. :~)
As necessary, I still feed with rose fertiliser or Tomorite to
encourage
flowering, and occasionally with a general feed if a rose looks
hungry.
Watering and mulching helps reduce stress, too, and it also stops
fallen
fungal spores from reinfecting the rose, although the acid feed seems
to
help with this, too.
Spider-
Please tell me what is acid feed? Can you buy it in shops or you have
to make it? I am not experianced gardener so forgive me please for
this
kind of questions.-
-
dina-
Don't worry, Dina - it was new to me once :~)
Locate the plant food shelf at your local garden centre and look for a
pack/bottle which either says plant food for acid-loving plants, or
says
ericaceous plant food. Follow the instructions for dilution but, if
(like
me) you're inclined to be a bit heavy-handed, use less concentrate
rather
than more. More food may sound good, but it's actually harmful, and in
this
case you're using the solution as a remedy, not a feed as such.
Good luck. I'm going in the garden now, but will look in later on,
just in
case there's a problem.
Spider
Thank you very much for all your replies and advise.
It is interesting that I've just found out on another American site
that some gardeners use mixture of bicarbonated soda, horticultural oil
and water to fight fungus ( which is acctually oposite of acidity).
Maybe it is something to do with changing Ph of soil which fungus does
not like and thats why both ways work.
Dina
Mmm. Interesting, I've never heard of that. I got my idea after my father
once complained that, since the local power station shut down, there was no
more acid rain locally so he had to treat his veg crops for fungal
infections that had never been a problem before. I tried it most
cautiously at first, but now rely on it. I'm gradually trying it out on
different types of fungal infections. I would be very interested to hear
how you get on.
Spider