Keywords: Organic gardening, Disease-resistant plants, Ornamental climbing plants, Rosa

PAL Question:

My neighbor wants a rose, but it will be planted in an organic garden. It’s a sunny warm spot (for Seattle), but I think disease resistance is a must. What is a source for disease resistant roses for our climate? Also, does growing clematis on a climbing rose limit its disease resistance?

View Answer:

The reason that clematis and rose make good companions has to do with the rose providing the structure the clematis needs, and the pairing allowing for interesting combinations of color and shape, rather than one providing disease resistance to the other.

Generally, the most disease-resistant roses are species roses, but there are additional choices.

Here is a link to lists of roses and their disease resistance, from Oregon State University's Plant Disease web page (look for "R" which indicates resistance).

This article from Oregon State University Extension lists resistant roses and their other qualities (scent, repeat bloom, color).

This article from Washington State University Extension is entitled "Choosing Good Roses for Puget Sound."

There are several excellent books on growing roses in our area:

North Coast Roses : For the Maritime Northwest Ggardener by Rhonda Massingham Hart (Seattle : Sasquatch Books, c1993)

Jackson & Perkins Beautiful Roses Made Easy : Northwestern Edition by Teri Dunn & Ciscoe Morris. (Nashville, Tenn. : Cool Springs Press, 2004)

Roses for the Pacific Northwest by Christine Allen (Vancouver : Steller Press, 1999)

Roses for Washington and Oregon by Brad Jalbert, Laura Peters (Edmonton : Lone Pine Pub., 2003)

Roses for the Inland Northwest. Washington State University Extension ; [Washington, D.C.] : U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, [2004])

This book is a comprehensive guide to combining clematis and roses: The Rose and the Clematis As Good Companions by John Howells ; photographs by the author ; flower arrangements by Ola Howells (Woodbridge : Garden Art Press, 1996)

All of these titles are available in the Miller Library.

Season All Season
Date 2007-02-10
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Keywords: Seeds, Organic gardening, genetically modified seeds

PAL Question:

I read an article recently that said some of my favorite seed companies are now owned by Monsanto. I don't want to use genetically modified seeds in my home garden, so I'd like to know where I can find more information on the sources seed companies use for the seed I am buying.

View Answer:

You may be referring to the January 2009 issue of the PCC Newsletter regarding Monsanto purchasing many of your favorite garden and farm seed catalogs. Territorial Seeds, Johnny's Seeds, Park Seed, Burpee, Cook's Garden, Spring Hill Nurseries, Flower of the Month Club, and Audubon Workshop are not owned by Monsanto or Seminis. PCC has posted a retraction online.

The folks at Organic Seed Alliance are a great resource on this issue. Here is what they suggest:
"For gardeners interested in buying non-GMO seeds, the best bet is to purchase seeds from seed companies who sell only organic seeds and who have signed the Safe Seed Pledge. The Organic Seed Alliance maintains a list of companies who sell organic seed. It includes both companies that sell some organic seed (as well as conventional seed) and companies who sell only organic seed.

For further reading on the subject, see this February 2005 article by Matthew Dillon from the Rodale Institute on Monsanto's purchase of Seminis. Environmental News Network also has information about a September 2008 discussion forum with writer Michael Pollan and Monsanto CEO Hugh Grant.

Season All Season
Date 2009-01-09
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Keywords: Organic gardening, Spiders

PAL Question:

I'd like to help a friend start gardening organically. She is concerned about spiders in her garden, especially around her lawn. She would like to know of safe ways of getting rid of the spiders so her children will not be hurt by them.

View Answer:

Generally, spiders are not a problem with lawns, and are certainly not normally seen in large numbers at one time. They are considered beneficial in the garden, as they eat other insects. We do not often encounter dangerous spiders here in the Pacific Northwest. The following links may be useful in reassuring your friend.

• Colorado State University Entomology
  Excerpt:
  "Spiders are beneficial inhabitants of any garden, ecosystem, or home because of their important contributions to biological control of pest insects. Spiders are considered to be the most important terrestrial predators, eating tons of pest insects or other small arthropods every year. Spiders are generalist predators that are willing to eat almost any insect they can catch. They are abundant and found in most habitats. They only need to be left alone!"
• Burke Museum's Spider Myths by Rod Crawford
  Excerpt:
  "Myth: Spiders in the home are a danger to children and pets.
  Fact: House spiders prey on insects and other small creatures. They are not bloodsuckers, and have no reason to bite a human or any other animal too large for them to eat. In any interaction between spiders and larger creatures like humans, the spiders are almost always the ones to suffer. It is so rare for spiders to bite humans that in a 30-year career of handling tens of thousands of live spiders, I personally have been bitten twice. Both bites had only trivial effects.
  A person who is not an arachnologist would not likely be bitten more than once or twice in a lifetime. ('Mystery bites' which people thoughtlessly blame on spiders, don't count! There are no invisible spiders...).
  Very, very few spider species have venom that can harm humans, dogs, or cats. In most parts of the world, no spiders with medically significant venom have much chance of being found in houses. In the few areas that are an exception to this rule, the harmless house spider species still greatly outnumber the more toxic ones. And spiders whose venom happens to be more toxic to us, are no more likely to bite us on that account; they are unaware of our existence.
  Why, why do people waste their time worrying about spiders? It is not spiders that are dangerous to your children; the dangerous ones are other humans!"

For more general information on organic gardening and lawn care, see the following:

• Washington Toxics Coalition
• Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides
• Seattle Public Utilities = Natural Lawn and Garden Care
• Seattle Tilth

Season All Season
Date 2009-04-29
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Keywords: Herbicides, Mulching, Organic gardening, Weed control

Garden Tool:

A common question we get at the Elisabeth C. Miller Library is How do I kill weeds without hand digging but without using toxic chemicals? Further discussion with the gardener reveals he wants to buy a product that he can spray on the weeds, once. Organic gardeners have it easier now compared to a decade ago, with a number of less-toxic weed killers on the market, but the fact is not one of these products are a magic bullet.

• Corn Gluten Meal (Concern's Weed Prevention Plus and Whitney Farm's Weed Whompin Mulch) is a natural product that prevents seeds from rooting once sprouted. The downside is that it doesn't work during rainy weather. Another consideration is that recent studies show it acts as fertilizer because it is rich in nitrogen, so in garden beds it may actually increase weeds. Its best use would be for weeds in lawns, according to an article in Organic Gardening, Aug/Oct 2008.
• Potassium salts of fatty acids (Safer Superfast Weed & Grass Killer) kills the tops of all plants, but not the roots. It works best on annual weeds like chick-weed and bitter cress, but would have to be repeated a few times to kill perennial weeds with root reserves, such as dandelion.
• Pelargonic acid herbicide (Scythe) is another type of fatty acid, similar to soap, that kills weeds by drying out the leaves. As mentioned above this product works best on annual or biennial weeds and must be reapplied a few times to kill perennials.
• Vinegar from the kitchen doesn't kill weeds, only disfigures them. Commercial products (Burnout, Bradfield's Horticultural 20% Vinegar) work if used in hot weather, but are quite caustic and great caution must be used not to inhale the fumes or spray the skin. Natural, yes, but toxic.

What does it take to get rid of weeds? A multi-pronged approach: physically remove weeds when they are young, reapply mulch every year, shade weeds out with desirable plants, and don't let weeds go to seed.

The Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides publishes excellent articles on non-toxic pest control. Two good articles on weed management are available free online: www.pesticide.org/managing.pdf and www.pesticide.org/landscape.pdf

Season: All Season
Date: 2007-04-03
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Keywords: Organic gardening, Powdery mildew diseases

Garden Tool: Powdery mildew season has begun (May), so act now to prevent or slow the development of this disfiguring (though not usually lethal) disease. Research published in Crop Protection demonstrated good results for preventing and managing mildew by spraying once a week with a 20%-40% solution of non-fat milk diluted in water. The down side to this organic remedy is the white residue left behind by the milk, which resembles the mildew we're trying to cure in the first place! Other less-toxic sprays that are new to the market are:

• Eco E-Rase (also sold as Detur), a jojoba oil spray that smothers mildew spores;
• Citrall Organic Lawn and Garden Fungicide derived from Backhousia citriodora (Lemon Myrtle), native to Australia;
• Rose Defense made with Neem oil, which is not so new, but is still unfamiliar to many gardeners.

Go online to Cornell University for a fact sheet on powdery mildew http://plantclinic.cornell.edu/FactSheets/powdery/powdery.htm

Season: Spring
Date: 2007-04-03
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Keywords: Aphids, Organic gardening

Garden Tool:

Many plants outgrow aphid infestations with no harm done. But sometimes aphids do cause permanent damage to tender shoot of young plants. If action must be taken, soft-bodied aphid can be killed by common non-toxic ingredients found at home. Here is a recipe for a spray from the Frugal Gardener by Catriona Erler (Rodale, $27.95):

• 1 garlic bulb
• 1 small onion
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
• 1 quart water
• 1 tablespoon liquid dish soap

liquefy garlic and onion in a blender, then add cayenne and water. Steep for an hour. Strain the liquid through cheesecloth, then add soap. Spray directly on aphids, or on plants vulnerable to aphids, like roses. Keep away from eyes and skin. This spray may be kept refrigerated for one week.

Season: Spring
Date: 2007-02-26
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Keywords: Organic gardening, Weed control, Rubus discolor

Garden Tool:

Eradicating blackberry vines may seem hopeless, especially if you don't want to use chemicals, but don't give up just yet. The Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides advises gardeners to cut off the top growth, dig out the main root-ball, and then follow-up by mowing all new growth. Planting desirable plants to shade out the sun loving blackberries is also critical. Read the NCAP's blackberry management plan (pdf).

Season: All Season
Date: 2007-05-16
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Keywords: Reference books, Organic gardening

Garden Tool:

The Rodale family of Emmaus, Pennsylvania has a 60 year history of publishing books and magazines that promote organic gardening and their encyclopedias have come to be regarded as the standards on the subject. A good example is the Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening (DK Publishing, 2002 $40.00). A must-have for serious organic gardeners certainly, but the user-friendly qualities that are a trademark of DK will make it one of the first books in a beginning gardener's library as well.

Season: All Season
Date: 2007-07-12
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