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SPRAYS AND DUSTS - Part 7

Every gardener should include in his equipment a supply of:

1. A preparation of Lindane, or DDT, or the two in combination, or, better still, Spraymate, thus including Chlorparacide (PCPPBS).

2. A TMTD preparation, such as Thiotox, or TMTD Fungicide.

3. A white-oil emulsion, such as Alboleum.

For people growing large numbers of roses, the results obtained with Systox make it worth the extra trouble of com­plying with the regulations, but not so with people who would use only small quantities. Systox is no more dangerous than E605 but is much more efficient. It could replace the Lindane, DDT and Chlorparacide. Thus for the grower of many plants, the list is reducible to three sprays, and as two (Systox and TMTD) are compatible they can be used together at each application. In fact the Systox need be used less frequently.

For people growing fewer roses, Lindane, TMTD and PCPPBS may be applied in combination in the same way. The Lindane need be used each two weeks only in spring and autumn, and the PCPPBS is necessary only about four times between October and March. The addition of Agral L to each of the first two sprays listed will help considerably.

It is very important to keep spraying materials available at all times, for they need to be used frequently, and a delay of a few days in obtaining and applying a chemical may result in vastly increased damage

Never wait for black spot or mildew to appear in your garden before you commence spraying. If you do so you will never have rose plants as healthy as you could have them by adopting a regular programme of preventive spraying. TMTD keeps the foliage so healthy that the plants appear much more vigorous, and one could believe quite readily that it acts as a fertilizer as well as a fungicide. It is not unreasonable to wait for the first appearance of thrips and aphides before using an insecticide, but do not delay once they have been seen, especially with thrips in the spring.

Do not spray only those plants that appear to be affected, for it is almost certain that any disease that is noticeable on some of the roses is present on all. Those varieties that are known to be susceptible to any particular disease, especially the fungi, are a menace to your garden, and you should avoid planting them, or discard them, unless they are needed for some special purpose.

It is essential to have a good spraying apparatus. A knap­sack spray is adequate for most home gardens but there is for sale now in Australia at least one type of appliance which may be attached to the nozzle of a garden-hose for spreading spray preparations. The concentrated spray material must be in liquid form. It is put into a small barrel, which acts, in addition, as a mixing chamber. The desired degree of dilution is obtained by the setting of a simple indicator. The water-tap is turned on at much less than full pressure and the spray is controlled by means of a trigger. Its coarseness is varied by the use of one or other of several nozzles. One should not leave the water-tap turned on any longer than is necessary for the purpose of spraying because a great pressure builds up in the hose quite quickly. Spraying in this way is remarkably easy and quick and it entails the use of only one hand. The short time needed to spray a large number of roses greatly reduces the dangers involved in using organic phosphate pre­parations. It becomes possible, because of this speed of applica­tion, to cover a large area early in the morning before wind develops.

In recent years foliage feeding of all types of plants has received much consideration, and the results of these investiga­tions have been very encouraging. This subject may seem too technical for many rose-growers, but in discussing sprays I may as well mention that some foliage feeding can be done along with disease control. Urea is one of the compounds used most commonly in foliage feeding; it is compatible with Systox, Lindane, TMTD, and Chlorparacide, and so it may be added to any of these sprays or to any combination of them. Only a very small quantity should be used in any one applica­tion, because all foliage feeding must be done with extremely weak solutions. It seems possible that some of the TMTD pre­parations already contain elements that roses absorb through their foliage, and that this, in part, accounts for the amazing health and vigour of plants sprayed with them. There are sev­eral preparations available commercially for foliage feeding. They each contain many compounds in balanced proportions. The demand for them has increased rapidly in recent years. They are sometimes called "foliar sprays".