Judith's Corner - May, 2003

This is one of the things I learned from Dennis Hill at our last program meeting:  The critter responsible for the dead, discolored canes that are evidence of "cane borer" is a wasp, and a well intentioned one at that.  The wasp is technically a "beneficial" insect because it kills aphids. Unfortunately, it kills them slowly, and it does that in the soft centers of rose canes.

The wasp paralyzes some aphids, stuffs them into the rose cane's soft wood and then lays some eggs.  Then she goes back for more aphids, and repeats the layering of aphids and eggs.  The stunned aphids are food for the hatching eggs.  The wasp doesn't want to hurt the rose--it's just opportunistic, and the freshly cut canes are there for the stuffing.

If you Google "cane borers in roses" you'll get websites from all over the country, and one thing they all have in common is that they recommend the use of white/Elmer's glue to paint the fresh cane cuts.  Dennis Hill says this is an inadequate solution--even the exterior carpenter's glue wears off over time, and the canes can become vulnerable again.  He said that pruning paint, which is black and messy, remains the best choice however unappealing.  If we simply must use glue, he suggested marine glue from a marine products store.  He pointed out that the wasp can't get into the cane anywhere on the cane but the "soft spot", so putting a flat thumbtack into the cane center will also solve the problem.

I have made an honest effort to use the pruning paint, and this stuff was NOT designed by Martha Stewart.  So far, I have ruined one pair of sweats, and have a smeary black stain on my patio floor.  Yuck.  I say, use the exterior glue and reapply as necessary!

 GOOD NEWS!  The Botanical Garden gift shop is carrying the Aqua-Blum rose stem cutter that we've mentioned at meetings and in this newsletter. And, the cutter is priced at $16.95, which is several dollars less than they were when they first came out.  If you're a BG member, you get a discount at the store, so don't miss a chance to purchase one.  Aqua-Blum is the nifty little tool that makes it possible to cut your rose stems under water, therefore eliminating flower droop, and lengthening the life of your cut roses.  If you're looking for a gift for the person who already have everything, this is a fabulous option for a rose lover.

FYI:  Recently, I managed to fall down and smash my knee caps, making kneeling in the garden a real problem.  I've been using a couple of old chair cushions as kneeling pads, moving them from task to task, but my knees haven't been happy with them.  I bought a pair of the strap-on knee pads at the Botanical Garden shop.  They were pricey, but they've made a huge difference in my ability to work in my yard, or in the rose beds at the Botanical Garden.  My knees give them two patellas up!

Felco pruners seem to be the Gold Standard for a lot of rose growers, but anyone who has a pair can tell you they had to mortgage their homes to buy them--ouch!  Relief from the local prices can be found on eBay.com.  If you put "Felco" in the search window on the home page, you'll find a variety of the pruners available for much less, even including shipping, than you'll find them here in town.  Check it out!

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