Rose Gall! Scary!

Greensage45

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Hi,

My rose Angel Face has been slowly fading all season. I cannot imagine why, until today.

I have been watching this rose carefully and because there were a few tiny clusters of growth at various places I thought I was dealing with Rose Canker.

I was doing some searching online to see if I can find a remedy before I completely lose my rose. I already took cuttings to try to get some started this winter to replace it just in case; also so I can begin the task of getting all my roses on their own roots.

I discovered what it is, it is called Rose Gall. It is caused from a naturally occurring bacteria that is normally kept in check by other bacterias. Sometimes there is a 'bloom' of bad bacteria and as the rose slowly ages it will finally succumb to the disease causing growth. Typically it is never found until it is too late when the rose is dug up and the Gall is exposed.

So with this in mind I had to know, so I began digging and it did not take long to find it.

Here is my rose:
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This picture shows the Gall already removed, I dug down and discovered it and then I did my best Dr. Love Emergency Surgery as I could. I am happy that there is a good portion of new roots still attached and hopefully things will work out alright after this!

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Here is what I removed. You can see the original stem to the original roots, this is likely why it pulled itself down a bit as it grew and reset roots, so if this one was a grafted rose it is no longer on the grafted root system. Now it is on its own roots.

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Here is a closer view of what is left and those roots that are supporting this bush. Some are on the backside and firmly in place, I dug around as carefully as I could to find and scrap out all the gall parts, then I saturated the wounds with Colloidal Silver .999% Silver. That should kill all bacteria, good and bad!

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So....after my Silver Treatment I added new compost (new bacteria!) So this coming February when I do my pruning I will take this bush down to a very minimal size since there are obviously not enough roots to support such a large bush.

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Hoping that this was informative, it certainly was an experience for me! :barnie

Ron
 

injunjoe

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Thanks Ron for that lesson.

There sure seems to be a lot of care to keep Roses, I guess this why I have shied away from them for so long.

Joe
 

Greensage45

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Well,

Considering I have owned this Rose now for over 8 years I think it has done well ...until now.

The hose you see in the pictures used to just lay on the surface of the ground and somehow the rose grabbed the hose and pulled it down under itself and rooted over it! So there is no getting that up without taking 'good' roots.

Hoses don't usually last but a few seasons, this one was one of those odd hoses that never failed. It certainly shows how much I kept adding mulch and compost without really being careful! Opps! If and when the hose fails I will just cut it and pull, but otherwise it is there for a while! :he

So really Roses aren't that much care! LOL I am the most lazy of all Rose Growers...the hose tells all! LOL

Ron
 

Greensage45

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injunjoe said:
So you are saying the Hose plant/vine was the cause or the effect of this problem?

einstine.gif

Joe
Naw...I am just embarrassed that I have a hose in the ground! LOL

I should have covered it and denied the entire thing! :lol:

Ron

Chances are the bud-graft on this rose had become infiltrated with bad bacteria and the good bacteria was unable to cope. Over the years the bad took over...it is all very normal in the micro-world of plants. Then the growth slowly was choking the rose, so the rose somehow pulled itself down by leaning and sending new roots above the growth area. That shows how strong this one is! :weight
 

injunjoe

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That's a good point! Your Rose found a way to survive by layering itself to set new roots. Nature is very interesting!
I'm glad you were able to figure out what it needed and was able to save it, we hope!

Joe
 

Lavender2

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I love 'Angel Face'! ... but she did not like my neglect... Old man Winter got her...:(
I hope your determined angel makes it!

I did not know about Rose gall, thanks for sharing this and all the great info, Ron!
"Live like you will die tomorrow, learn like you will live forever"!..:old

I wondered about the hose, but didn't want to ask... :hide
Important lesson learned there too... there are hose eating plants out there... :lol: (actually, I have a hose that needs checking!)
 

vfem

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See, here I am still learning... and I am probably ANOTHER year away from my first rose. I keep trying to know MORE before I jump in head first or unknowningly into a new specimen.

We are putting in a 'ROSE' garden... all roses all the time.... along the drive side of the house. I've been cleaning out the gravel slowly... I'll be working in compost this fall for spring.... and then running plastic liners as to keep anything from the driveway ground out of the bed as much as possible.

Worst case.... I screw up! LOL

Thanks for all your advice and sharing your disasters as well Ron.
 

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