Grapevine teams with Texas A&M to combat rose disease

In partnership with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and the Grapevine Garden Club, more than a dozen rose varieties that may be resistant to rose rosette disease were planted recently by the city at the Rose Trial Garden.

Pam Braak, recent president of the Grapevine Garden Club, said the disease “is causing such amazing havoc to rose growers.”

“Every gardener I know has lost one or many roses to this disease,” said Braak, who also is a member of the Tarrant County Master Gardener Association. “It is caused by a mite, and there is no effective method to treat a virus on an infected plant. The rose must be dug up, bagged and sent to the landfill. This leaves gardeners with a rather helpless feeling.”

Grapevine Garden Club members will regularly evaluate the plants for rose rosette disease symptoms as well as black spot and other conditions.

“We are excited to see what happens in the upcoming months and hope we can learn more about rose rosette and eventually make recommendations for good rose choices in Tarrant County and other areas where rose rosette disease is prevalent,” Braak said.

Steve Chaney, home horticulturist for the Texas A&M Agrilife Extension in Tarrant County, told the Star-Telegram in December that the disease became more prevalent in North Texas in early 2012. He said Tarrant County is seeing more cases than Dallas and Denton counties, especially in Northeast Tarrant cities like Southlake, Grapevine and Colleyville.

Southlake has said it will have to remove and replace about 5,400 rose bushes because of an outbreak of the disease, which could cost the city up to $500,000.

‘Wait and watch’

The is the second project of its type in 10 years in Grapevine at the garden along West Dove Loop Road at Shady Brook Drive.

Because almost all the roses from the 2005 rose trial succumbed to this disease recently, Lisa Adams Grove, city horticulturist, offered the location for a new trial.

The city prepared the site and bought and planted the roses last month.

“Now all we can do is wait and watch,” Braak said. “Maybe they will all die in a matter of months or perhaps we will find a resistant variety or two.”`

Laura M. Miller, commercial horticulture for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension in Tarrant County, said the list of rose varieties was compiled by horticulturists at Texas A&M and from Tennessee and Oklahoma.

“It is an interesting list and includes just about every type of rose shrub, floribunda, hybrid tea, etc.,” Miller said. “Two of the nurseries that supplied plants threw in three varieties that they thought might be resistant but that were not on the original list.”

Miller said she was grateful to the city of Grapevine for its cooperation on this project, adding it has “an excellent staff and wonderful volunteers.”

Grove, who is heading the Rose Trial Garden, said they have planted 17 varieties for a total of about 70 plants. They went to an extra effort to find the varieties recommended because not all were readily available.

“We want roses in our landscape and homeowners want them in their landscapes, and it’s really devastating to people to lose their roses,” Grove said.

Some plants are newcomers and won’t be released to the public until 2016. Colors include purple, yellow, coral and pink. They include shrubs and climbing roses.

‘Excited about the possibilities’

The 2005 project was dubbed the EarthKind Rose Trial Garden 2005 by the Grapevine Garden Club, the city of Grapevine and Texas A&M Research Center.

They collaborated to field test 24 varieties of antique roses to identify varieties with a high degree of disease and insect resistance.

Data were recorded by the Grapevine Garden Club on each rose once a month for about two years. Each rose bush was measured, the number of blooms counted and the plants inspected for disease and insects on the stems, leaves and blooms.

The soil structure and environmental conditions also were recorded. The data were sent to Texas A&M Research Center and added to the data collected at other sites evaluating potential EarthKind roses.

The approximately 70 roses thrived with almost no care until recently. In late 2014, rose rosette disease was identified on all the roses except the Lafter.

In January, all the roses were dug up and destroyed, which is the suggested procedure with roses infected with the disease.

“They did quite well until this year,” Grove said, adding that the roses were irrigated by a drip system and minimal care was given so that they had a “carefree” existence.

The disease hit hard and quickly, necessitating that the plants to be “carefully” dug up and bagged, including the root system. Then they waited until last month to plant so the mites left behind would have time to go through their life cycle and die, Grove said.

This time they hope to nip the disease in the bud.

“It’s always interesting to be part of a survey,” Grove said. “Hopefully, we can find some roses people can grow and enjoy. We’re excited about the possibilities. We’re going to give it our best.”

This story was originally published July 6, 2015 at 8:01 AM with the headline "Grapevine teams with Texas A&M to combat rose disease."