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Rose trouble: Attack of the gray mold

Botrytis turns promising buds into mushy mess


Rose with botrytis
This California Dreamin' rose shows effects of botrytis. The fungus attacks blooms or buds moistened by dew, fog or sprinklers. (Photos: Debbie Arrington)





Our warm autumn weather prompted many roses to push out fresh blooms in November. But instead of opening into full healthy flowers, the buds quickly browned and seemed to disintegrate on the bush.

That’s botrytis in action. Right now, it's by far the most common problem in Sacramento-area rose gardens.

Nicknamed gray mold, botrytis is a common fungus that attacks a broad range of ornamental and edible plants – especially roses. It causes bunch rot in grapes, and can take hold with as little as four hours of moisture.

Spray of roses with botrytis
A spray of Enchanted Evening roses is turned into
brown mush by botrytis.

So, even though weather has been mostly dry, botrytis opportunistically attacks blooms moistened by morning dew, fog or sprinklers.

This is the second wave of botrytis in Sacramento this year. We saw a similar (and unusually early) outbreak in late April and May when spring rains and cool weather coaxed the fungi into action. Botrytis overwinters in mulch around the bush, waiting for just the right combination of conditions: Cool, cloudy days and damp flower petals. In Sacramento, that weather is much more common in November than May.

Moisture is key. Botrytis needs moisture for growth in plant tissues, particularly tender flower petals. To prevent outbreaks, keep flower buds dry. Of course when it starts raining or nights turn foggy, that’s all but impossible.

Botrytis eventually will overwhelm the flower and turn it into soft mush. The earliest stages look like pink measles or brownish water spots on light-colored flowers. Those brown spots quickly grow until they consume the whole petal. The fungus grows so fast that the flower never fully opens.

Besides roses, botrytis also attacks African violet, asters, begonia, carnation, chrysanthemum, cyclamen, cymbidium, gerbera, geranium, gladiolus, hydrangea, marigolds, orchids, petunia, poinsettia, primrose, ranunculus, snapdragon, zinnia and many other garden favorites.

Botrytis bloom
Here's another rose bloom (a Pink Promise hybrid tea rose)
completely ruined by botrytis.


According to UC Integrated Pest Management program, the best control of botrytis is “good sanitation.” Clip off infected blooms, put them in a plastic bag and dispose in the trash. Do not compost them; that just recycles the spores back into the garden.

Pick up fallen blooms and petals around the bush and dispose of them, too.

For more information on botrytis, check out these pest notes from UC IPM:
http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/r280100511.html


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Garden Checklist for week of Feb. 9

Be careful walking or working in wet soil; it compacts easily.

* Keep the irrigation turned off; the ground is plenty wet with more rain on the way.

* February serves as a wake-up call to gardeners. This month, you can transplant or direct-seed several flowers, including snapdragon, candytuft, lilies, astilbe, larkspur, Shasta and painted daisies, stocks, bleeding heart and coral bells.

* In the vegetable garden, plant Jerusalem artichoke tubers, and strawberry and rhubarb roots.

* Transplant cabbage and its close cousins – broccoli, kale and cauliflower – as well as lettuce (both loose leaf and head).

* Indoors, start peppers, tomatoes and eggplant from seed.

* Plant artichokes, asparagus and horseradish from root divisions.

* Plant potatoes from tubers and onions from sets (small bulbs). The onions will sprout quickly and can be used as green onions in March.

* From seed, plant beets, chard, lettuce, mustard, peas, radishes and turnips.

* Annuals are showing up in nurseries, but wait until the weather warms up a bit before planting. Instead, set out flowering perennials such as columbine and delphinium.

* Plant summer-flowering bulbs including cannas, calla lilies and gladiolus.

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