Spectracide Immunox 3-in-1: Combating Diseases that Arise from Elevated Temps Heating Moisture Soaked Ground

Here in the heart of the country, we've been having some pretty significant storms. (Those of you in Drexel, MO, our prayers are with you for a quick recovery.) The rain fall totals, at least in the KC area, are above normal according to our weather forecasters. At Blessing Hill our grounds are ponded in places. The flower and vegetable beds are soaked. The tractor wheels churn water when I'm hauling around the trailer. But, it's not all bad. This has been great for the perennials, shrubs, and trees we've planted this season. At last count, I believe we were up to 16 new trees alone. I'm grateful not to be dragging the water hose or paying rural #6 those increased water rates.

And luckily for us, up until now, the temperatures have stayed an unbelievable 70's for the most part. These first 15 days of June were unlike any I've ever seen---chilly mornings for sleeveless shirts. Well, today that's coming to an end. We are going straight from comfortable to downright miserable with above normal temps and sweltering humidity. What might be great weather for my tropical weather loving friend the pink tiger lily pictured above, isn't such great weather for plants prone to fungus like Oenothera speciosa Siskiyou, Mexican Evening Primose, featured in the second picture. It prefers to be on the dry side. When its roots stand in moist, warm soil, a powdery film develops on its leaves. This is also said for most types of tall phlox. It's not detrimental to the plant's well being but it looks bad and the leaves don't fill out.

I'm an advocate for limited use of chemicals in the garden. But let's face it, sometimes it's necessary. Before applying a chemical fungicide, you could try spraying plants with a mixture of 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon vegetable oil, and one quart of water to control powdery mildew. Unfortunately, that didn't work on my Siskiyou. However, what seems to have good results is a product from Spectracide called Immunox 3-in-1 Insect & Disease Control Plus Fertilizer. This product is a combination of insecticide, fungicide, and fertilizer. I sprayed my Siskiyou with Immunox and the problem subsided for about four weeks which is pretty typical with this type of all-in-one fungicide. With the powdery mildew gone, the leaves were able to become lush, supporting new growth.

Yesterday, I noticed that nasty leaf blight beginning to develop on my tomatoes. Once that gets started it's a nightmare to combat. The first thing to do is pull back any mulching material and allow the sun to begin drying the soil around the plant. This also improves air circulation which is crucial in healthy development. Pick up any plant debris and dispose of immediately. Remember, don't compost any part of a tomato plant to prevent future contamination. Water early in the day to allow foliage to dry before evening. Since just a few of my plants are infected, I decided to take preventative measures. I don't want the fungus to spread to my other tomato plants. I got out the Immunox and read the label from beginning to end but there was no mention of use on tomatoes. Every chemical manufacturer lists contact information included in the labeling. I called the toll free number and spoke to a product specialist who assured me that Immunox was safe to use on the tomatoes. I'll let you know how it did in a future posting.

Immunox is also designed to work well on roses prone to black spot. I plant mainly shrub roses for their ability to withstand disease. Imagine my dismay with my David Austin's Mary Rose shrub rose when it developed black spot. It was my understanding that the Mary Rose was the most consistent and tidy performer of all English roses. Well, it might be elsewhere but not in my garden. (Still by and far my favorite is Lady Elsie May who I think outshines all other shrub roses.) Mary Rose sprung to life this spring with a robust vigor and bloomed profusely before shedding all her leaves to black spot. I've sprayed her with Immunox and I'll also let you know how that fairs in a future posting.

Here's a list of diseases Spectracide Immunox 3-in-1 cant prevent and/or treat:

Black Spot

Brown Patch

Dollar Spot

Powdery Mildew

Rust

Blight

Leaf Spot



Insects it kills:

Aphids

Spider mites

Leafhoppers

Bagworms

Cicadas

Cankerworms

Webworms

Inchworms

Leafminers

Mealybugs

Thrips

Whiteflies

And, when applying Immunox, the plant receives a dose of fertilizer albeit a minor amount. I would suggest continuing with whatever fertilizer program you use.

Jackson & Perkins: Lousy Warranty/Lousy Customer Service

I previously posted about the two Jackson & Perkins Baby Blanket carpet roses (4/9/09) I lost due to no fault of my own. I bought three and two didn't make it through the winter although all three were lovely, lush, healthy rose bushes. I emailed J&P and asked what they would consider doing about it. Below is the email I received from Lynne Cody, J&P customer service representative:

From: JP CustServ
Sent: Monday, April 13, 2009 21:09
To: Lynne Cody
Subject: FW: Feedback Form for JacksonAndPerkins

Good morning Jennifer,

Thank you so much for contacting us here at Jackson and Perkins! We value our customers’ comments and questions highly, and we appreciate hearing from you.This is the spring season and we handle calls and e-mails from thousands of people every day. I apologize that somehow your e-mail has gotten pushed to the back. We guarantee the roses (for 60 days) to grow and bloom which yours did. I am so sorry that your plants did not do well through the winter.

Again, thank you for writing to us. If you have any further questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact us. To help us serve you better, please use the Reply button to respond so that all previous communications will be included. Thank you for gardening with Jackson and Perkins!

LynneJackson and Perkins Customer Contact Team2
Floral AvenueHodges, South Carolina 29653
Telephone: 800-292-4769Fax: 800-242-0329
http://www.blogger.com/email: service@jacksonandperkins.com

Now I don't know about you, but that's a pretty lousy warranty. What I found even more ridiculous is the fact that this woman thinks I would ever again consider making another purchase with their brand stamped all over it. Shoot, even Home Depot, whose been in the customer service hot seat for awhile, guarantees all their plants for 1 full year.

I'll just keep buying my Weeks Roses and stay clear of any container/wrapper with the words Jackson & Perkins on it.

Hey Jackson & Perkins-----Boo! Hiss!

Weeks Roses vs J&P: How They've Played Out in My Gardens

Does this look like a perfectly healthy carpet rose to you? I'm on a tear this morning. Two days ago, I emailed Jackson & Perkins in regards to their Baby Blanket carpet rose of which I bought three last year. One of the three has leafed out but two of the three are dead. I'm really ticked about this since I tore out an established row of both daylilies and of red fox speedwell, replacing them with the Baby Blankets. As you can see in the picture, that was a lush, robust rose but, this spring its dead. I probably wouldn't be so ticked if it was just the first time one of their roses had played out on me. But its not. I paid good money for another of their roses, America, a climbing rose, that in my garden, hasn't climbed two feet. Furthermore, what really irritates me is the their slogan: The World's Finest Roses---and the Easiest to Grow. I beg to differ. And as far as customer service is concerned, well I'm still waiting to hear from them.

On the other hand, I can't say enough good things about Weeks Roses. I'm sold. I have sixteen of their beautiful rose bushes on the property and every one is alive and doing well. In fact, late last summer I bought three shrub roses, Mary Rose, Lady Elsie May, and Watercolors, and one miniature, Ruby Ruby, from Nick's GreenLeaf Gardens. I was worried they might not have enough time to get established before winter but they came through with flying colors. All have leafed and are looking robust. FYI: these were all planted well after J&P's Baby Blanket carpet roses.

To top that, I came upon a nursery sale the first week of October. I bought ten of Weeks's rugosa roses, Blanc Double de Coubert, Hansa, and Purple Pavement. They were in bad shape having grown in their nursery pots all season long and then having endured a severe shearing. At $1.99 each, it was well worth trying to save them. And, knowing how well Weeks roses have done in my garden, I wasn't worried. This spring all but two survived and are growing like crazy. That's a Weeks rose for you.

And as you can see in the second and third photos of this posting, Weeks roses put on a beautiful performance. Weeks roses are sold at many retail venues. If you are in my area and are interested in purchasing some for yourself, head over to Nick's Green Leaf Gardens and tell Nick and Loretta, I sent you!

Along the Picket Fence: Seven Sisters Rambler Rose

I was a military brat. There was no white picket fence around my many yards. What I learned about gardening then was scratched out in patches just large enough to grow a tomato and a few marigolds without forfeiting the security deposit. I suppose when I chose the bones (the hardscaping which anchors the landscaping) for my present day gardens, it wasn't just to establish boundaries for garden beds. I needed to delineate a place called home.

The white picket fence is a thing of beauty, enhanced only by proliferous blooms spilling through the empty space between vertical supports. The following spring after our house was built, we set about installing all the fencing. The fence took our property from barren lot to established residence; the white pickets gave it curbside charm. Then, by adding the curving flow of garden beds to further define the greenspace, our new build became quintessentially characterized.

• To quickly add curving, flowing garden beds without going to great expense, I suggest using rolled edging. This type of edging immediately defines the bed from the greenspace and is essential in the control of weeds. The rolled edging is also a nice barrier to weedeat against.

One of the first perennials I planted along the picket fence was my Seven Sisters Rambler Rose. I can't recommend this variety enthusiastically enough. What a hardy specimen! In the past four years, Seven Sisters has weathered every extreme condition the Midwest climate can dish out. It has tolerated two severe droughts and a horrendous late spring freeze that wiped out some fairly stealthy perennials. The name Seven Sisters is derived from its multiple bloom sets, as many as seven roses per cluster. Often thought of as the romantic wild rose of the Old South, Seven Sisters arrived in Europe, and later in the United States, in the late 1800's from Japan.

Mine begins to bloom around the last week of May and continues typically through the first week of June. From the palest pink to the deepest orchid, the array of color is breathtaking. The double blossoms are profuse and resemble the cabbage rose on a tinier scale. Unfortunately for those of us who cherish this rose, it blooms only once per season.

Just this past summer, my Seven Sisters rose began to send out long, whispy canes. I can hardly wait for spring '09. Imagine the beauty of those double blossoms spilling over the white picket fence.