You know I’ve been fighting rose rosette in my garden. Last weekend, I begged, cajoled and exhorted my husband to help me remove both ‘New Dawn’ roses. Due to this horrible disease, these animals, who once took down an arbor with their sheer abundance, were mere shadows of their former selves.
Rose rosette is often referred to as the AIDS of roses. It is definitely fatal to whichever rose it decides to inhabit. The problem is when you grow monster roses, they are devilish hard to remove from the soil. It took three four things to get these babies out of the ground:
- 31-inch Power Gear Fiskars Loppers. I use these on every big job and not because I write articles for Fiskars on their website. I bought two different sizes of these loppers several years ago, and when I wear them out, I will buy more. I like them a lot.
My much used Fiskars Titanium loppers - The Troy-Bilt pole saw. Although they have sent me other products in the past like their electric trimmer to review, Troy-Bilt hasn’t in a while. I bought this saw because it can reach into trees and made quick work of ‘New Dawn’ no. 2. It is an attachment in a line of very good tools which clip onto one model trimmer’s pole.
Not the best picture of my pole saw, but it’s long so hard to photograph. - Bear Wallow Protector gloves. Over a month ago, the very nice Bear Wallow people asked if I would review their gloves. I said yes because they appeared well made, and they are. They are definitely designed for pruning, not digging, with very soft, but tough leather palms and fingers and even tougher rawhide gauntlets. If you want them to last, they should not be used to dig in the ground, and if I were designing them, I would put reinforced tips on the fingers, but that’s just me. I love how soft they are, and how those gauntlets protected me against ‘New Dawn’ and her thorny struggle. These gloves kept me scratch free and with over 90 roses, that is a good thing. They are very well made for their price of $44.95.
Bear Wall Protector gloves - A six foot, all metal pry bar. You can buy them at any box store, and Bill says everyone should have one. He’s right.
I know that’s four, but Bill reminded me of the pry bar. It took over two hours to dig up both roses. Because I couldn’t get every root (some stretched through both long beds, I won’t be planting roses here again. According to the most current information, rose rosette doesn’t inhabit the soil, but it remains in roses’ roots. Just something to consider. I mourned them a bit, but I also see this as an opportunity. I think something tall and evergreen should go on each side of this tall arbor. Any suggestions?
Sorry about the rose. I was just today discussing New Dawn with my “rose queen” friend. It topped her list of favorites. I might reconsider it for a client’s garden now that I hear your story.
Anyway, can you grow ‘Oakland’ Hollies in your area? Suggestion for something tall and evergreen. Just a thought.
Agree about the pry bar. We have more than one. But hey, we usually have more than one man on hand that can use it to good effect. Good to know about the gloves. When I planted those roses earlier this month, I was wishing for some serious gloves.
I am so sorry you had to let the ladies go~New Dawn is one of my favorite roses. Such sweet faces. I reread your Feb 2009 post about their severe pruning and got to see what a big job that was~Yikes, one needs decent tools for that! Speaking of tools~I lost my pry bar! Must replace it soon….another big rock broke a perennial spade! Can’t wait to see what you plant. gail
What a job. That rose looked like a monster. I hate that your roses have such a dreaded diesease. I wonder where it came from. How do these diseases get into our gardens?. Booo
Dee, good tools are a gardener’s best friend. I’m glad you included a 4th item in your 3 for Thursday post … I don’t have a pry bar and I bet it would indeed come in handy. Thanks, Bill!
I’m sorry about your beautiful rose busy. I still need to dig up the dead yellow climbing rose that died from rose rosette. I hate this! Anyway, on to more pleasant things. I loved all your fall pictures in the previous post. I just love red fall sumac. Aren’t these cool rainy days wonderful!?
Have a great weekend, Dee!
Kelly
Wow. I had no idea roses could be so stubborn.
So sorry about ‘New Dawn’ – I grow that one and it is a flat-out monster! I would probably have to move if it got sick…
All that work adds insult to injury. That’s terrible.
Is there no treatment for the roses, or preventative? Seems awfully unfair for you to lose them.
Those gloves, and that saw! seem custom made for the rose removal job, Dee. I didn’t know about the roots still having the disease, and know that all the roots were not removed from ours. Rats. Thank Bill for us about the pole, we don’t have one. Yet. 🙂
Oh Dear, Dee I just planted New Dawn this summer! Yikes! Hopefully it is too cold here for this disease. Fabulous gloves!! Too bad about losing such a garden beauty. ;>)