MRS FAQs Post: August 24, 2004

Peggy, August 24, 2004 I got your name from the ARS web site. I'm up in Island Falls - near Houlton. I have a question, please. Last Winter I lost most of the bushes in my Pink Simplicity hedge row. Only four made it through the cold. I just pulled up all the dead ones and the soil is loaded with ants and small black bugs (ant sized) with translucent wings that do not seem to fly. I'm going to replant in the Spring. Do I need to kill these guys? Should I remove the four living bushes while I do so? Any recommendations on what to use? My rose trench is three feet deep x 1 1/2 feet by about twenty-five feet, filled with real rich soil. The bugs described above were feeding on the rotted roots - it appears. They're underground crawlers with wings. Thanks so much.

8/24/04 Peggy, Thanks for writing. I do have a questions about your soil. You said that it was rich soil, but I do not know what that implies. If the soil has a lot of rotted wood material besides the dead roots might attract insects such as these. If so, I would suggest that you replace the soil. The best soil is one that is both well drained, and has organic material such as peat or compost to help supply or hold added nutrients. You can take one of the bugs to an extension agent for identification (the description does sound like termites). I believe that the Simplicity Roses are Zone 5 roses (hardy to minus 20 F) and might be expected to be tender in Island Falls and require good winter protection. You did not say how you winter protect. There is a variety of roses that will routinely do well in cold temperatures. Do you know of the Explore Series, and the Parkland Series developed in Canada for cold climates? Also Rugosa Hybrids will probably do well and come in many sizes, colors, and shapes. The Maine Rose Society webpage has a list of many of these varieties at http://www.mainerosesociety.com/hardyroses.html. There is also a wealth of other information on the web site. Last, but not least, last winter was hard on roses from beyond southern New England up to your area. Most people lost roses. Many of my roses died back to ground level, but are flourishing well not. I buried the roots and any graft well to protect them from freeze-thaw and it seemed to work. Please write again if I can be of help. Jerry Cinnamon Member of Maine Rose Society

8/24/04 Jerry - This info was so nice. Thanks. I really appreciate it. I'm sure they're termites. I just didn't recognize them. I've kept the hedge roses and my English ones for about ten years, laboriously wrapping and covering them each Winter.. But they weren't covered well last Winter. I was immobile - - bad timing in terms of the weather. I learned I would rather have hardier roses so this doesn't happen again. I know of Parkland's and Rugosa's, but not the Explore series. I will look into these and also explore the Maine Rose Society website. I'm glad to know about that. We really need sucjh a resource to grow roses up here. I made the soil - 1/3 peat moss; 1/3 aged manure; 1/3 topsoil. There's always been a small layer of wood chip mulch on top which gets mixed in over time. I can remove it I think, by scraping away the top 6" or so. The termites were feeding on the dead roots of the roses. Any thoughts on how to kill them? I have no pets at the moment and the four bushes I have left can be lifted, cleaned of soil and replanted. Thanks so much. You really helped. Peggy