What is in full bloom now? JUNE 16 - JUNE 30 2010

Sure enough. I'm surprised I hadn't heard that. Seems like they would have sold the rights to Messenger if they could have. There must be more to the story.

http://www.edenbio.com/

8zoner, welcome! It's good to have you here. Lovely picture.

Here's the combo I mentioned in my previous post.

Looks like there is a MESSENGER replacement: http://www.gardeningthings.com/organic-natural-fertilizers-biostimulants-c-67/employ-reg-plant-health-promoter-2oz-package-p-183

8-zoner, that is very pretty!

You want to be careful with messenger. It's steroids for plants. Eventually it catches up with the plant.

I was reading about black spot and the other rose diseases in my growing roses organically book last night and there are some interesting remedies and one I do recall using to good effect when we lived in Calif. I'll post them later.

Gwen - tell me more. I read a few discussions on whether there were long-term adverse affects from using it to stimulate a plant's immune response. There was lots of speculation, but I hadn't heard that anyone had actually had a negative experience. What happens when the messenger "catches up with the plant"?

Beautiful pictures all of you!
Lynn your purple tubular flowering plant is Iochroma cyaneum.
Messenger is a quick acting fertilizer, but not really beneficial to plants over the long run, it actually makes them grow too fast and then they eventually collapse if you continue to use it. Once or twice is plenty.

Linda - I'm confused.

Messenger activates the immune system in the plants. It's not a fertilizer . . . that's like saying too much St. John's Wort will make you collapse . . .

I don't know specifics. But I was at a lecture that Linda somebody or other gave for Master Gardeners. she's the one with Chalk in her name and is quite well-regarded, if you recognize that name, and she said studies had been done on it and found what Linda said - the plants grow too quickly or their immune systems get too beefed up and then it catches up with them and they can collapse or get sick. She said at best it doesn't really help your plants in the long run.

Such lovely pictures everyone! I am soooooooo glad that the gardens are getting more colorful. It is instantly erasing the gloomy mood that I was in after all the wet and cold.

Welcome 8zoner! Your honeysuckle combo is beautiful. We all would definitely enjoy seeing more of your garden!

As far as roses go, I am one of the bad people who actually do use chemicals on my plants. Not that it has helped a lot this year because one of the most important things about an effective spray program is the weather cooperating long enough to be able to actually spray.... I normally spray only a fungicide, and have found Mancozeb to be the most effective. It will control blackspot on the most prone roses IF you clean up old leaves and then spray the ground and plant regularly.

Another picture to give the full effect of my moneywort carpet... can you see why I have enough to share with anyone who would like some? I just love it in this spot though, because it is a wet wet wet area that otherwise sprouts grass like crazy. This is much preferred to weeding!

Gads... how can it be July already?????????? Hope you all have a safe and fun independence day celebration. I guess this means it's time to move on to a new thread!



**********************NEW THREAD************NEW THREAD*************NEW THREAD******

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1112786/

Julie, that is very very pretty! Will that stuff really keep grasses and weeds from taking over? If so, I sure do have some spots to put that in!

I don't think spraying is necessarily a bad thing. My problem is that some of my roses are right next to/in my veggie garden, and I never spray in that area. The other place I have roses is a place where the chickens peck at the grass, so I'd be concerned there as well. If I had roses where I could spray and be sure no living creatures were being affected, I would probably spray as well. And if I didn't, it would be out of laziness. ;)

While I do think a nontoxic yard is the ideal and is what I strive for, I am not critical of people who do use chemicals and certainly would not characterize them as 'bad.'