In the News - July 2008
Carefree roses are low on maintenance, high on beauty
LITTLE ROCK - Roses are back, thanks to new carefree varieties released in
the last few years, says Dr. Jim Robbins, extension horticulture specialist with
the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.
These carefree roses require minimal attention, come in a variety of colors
and levels of disease resistance.
"Roses are making a comeback," Robbins said. "While interest in the beautiful
hybrid tea roses may be waning, interest in carefree shrub roses is on the fast
track upward."
Jackson & Perkins, a plant retailer, estimated in 2005, that 20 percent of
rose sales were shrub roses. The company predicts the number will be 50 percent
by 2013.
Robbins says, "To help wade through these shrub rose choices, several
universities are evaluating these popular plants to sort out winners and
losers."
In 2006, a no-spray rose trial was conducted at the West Tennessee Research
and Education Center in Jackson, Tenn. Sixty-four rose cultivars were screened
for resistance to black spot and Cercospora leaf spot. Out of these 64 rose
cultivars, 17 cultivars were found to be resistant or moderately resistant to
both diseases. Knockout™ is one such cultivar that has been a favorite of
gardeners for years. In 2005, 6.5 million Knockout roses were sold, according to
Jackson & Perkins.
Carefree rose cultivars are good choices for residential and commercial
gardens because they require little or no pesticide applications.
"University trials are ongoing to evaluate many of these carefree shrub roses
to better educate the public," said Robbins.
"EarthKind roses are unique to Texas A&M University," Robbins added.
Horticulturists at Texas A&M University developed the EarthKind Rose program to
determine which rose cultivars exhibited the highest performance under adverse
growing conditions with virtually no maintenance. The EarthKind Rose program
combines the best of organic and traditional gardening and landscaping
principles, seeking to prevent pest problems through selection of resistant
cultivars rather than with pesticides.
In a five-year field research study of more than 117 rose varieties, Texas
A&M horticulturalists found 11 of the 117 varieties had spectacular performance.
These rose cultivars included: Sea Foam, Marie Daly, The Fairy, Caldwell Pink,
Knock Out, Perle d'Or', Belinda’s Dream, Else Poulson, Katy Road Pink, Mutabilis
and Climbing Pinkie. For more information on these cultivars and the EarthKind
Rose program, visit
http://www.ph-rose-gardens.com/earthkindroses.htm.
Although many varieties of carefree roses are available, Robbins reminds
gardeners that not all varieties have equal levels of resistance to diseases
such as black spot and Cercospora leaf spot. For more information on resistance
levels among carefree rose cultivars, visit
http://westtennessee.tennessee.edu/ornamentals/NoSprayRoses.pdf .
For more information about carefree roses, please contact your county
extension agent or visit www.uaex.edu. The
Cooperative Extension Service is part of the U of A Division of Agriculture.
July 18, 2008
By Rebecca Norman
For the Cooperative Extension Service
Media Contact: Lamar James
Extension Communications Specialist
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2187 or (501) 753-0207
ljames@uaex.edu
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