Sammy, in doing a bit of Googling I found where you'd asked the same question here at GW in the Rose Forum, just yesterday and no one has answered you to date.

"tomato soils harbor pathogens that make rose root galls"

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I find that statement possibly misleading and/or not true in your circumstances.

The major cause of crown gall in roses is Agrobacterium tumefaciens and it can also cause crown galls at the base of the stem with tomatoes, but very rarely. Have you ever seen gall formation with your tomatoes? I bet not.

THe other cause of root galls is SOuthern Root Knot Nematodes, RKN's, but they're only found inground in certain areas of the country and would not be found in your container mix where I assume you're using purchased products such as artificial mix and composted stuff as well.

Agrobacterium would also not be present in container mix as I think you probably have used.

You can do the same Google searches I did and see if I've accurately described the situation to your satisfation.

Carolyn

Crown Gall on a Tomato Stem

I agree with Carolyn. It is a misleading statement. Some might read that and "blame" the tomatoes by assuming tomatoes are going to have crown gall ubiquitously. But the reality is crown gall effects a wide range of plants in many different plant families. This would include ornamental or fruit trees which are close relatives of roses.

The crown gall, if present, could just be in the native soil. It doesnt typically "come with" the tomatoes unless one brought an infected plant or soil (dirt or mud on your shoes could do that). Nursery stock of other plants , like the roses, could also bring it in. I've seen crown gall on saplings of plants while walking in the woods (no tomatoes around but plenty of wild roses). And as Carolyn noted, unless you bought some really cheap potting mix, it probably wouldn't be present in it.

If you are really concerned you could apply a biocontrol of Agrobacterium radiobacter to out compete it in the soil since you are using raised beds (which is similar to a container). See the link below.

Also try to find a copy of
Horst, R.K. 1983. Compendium of Rose Diseases. APS Press, St. Paul, MN.

Here is a link that might be useful: Agrobacterium

My first statement was that the post was on the Roses Forum. I also adore Ann who is a real expert, but I do not understand what she wrote. I did bring it up from the third page, but then decided to try to ask the question here/.

I thought this Forum may have more forumers who would understand pathogens or bacteria of tomatoes.

I hate gall, absolutely hate it. It is right there with Rose Rosette Disease.

However, I think you are saying that there would be very little chance that the tomato dirt would have the gall spores anymore than the dirt I already have.

Do you think that there are any particular ingredients that the tomatoes would leach from the potting soil that I could add before I plant the roses next week? I will be putting in Mills Magic and will mix compost with the soil, but do you happen to know if tomatoes take out other nutrients?

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond.

Sammy

Do you think that there are any particular ingredients that the tomatoes would leach from the potting soil that I could add before I plant the roses next week? I will be putting in Mills Magic and will mix compost with the soil, but do you happen to know if tomatoes take out other nutrients?

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Now you've got me confused a bit. LOL In your first post you said you'd been growing your tomatoes in pots and now wanted to plant roses in those same pots.

I would assume, as I said above, that in those pots you had artificial mix and composted manure, probably, hopefully, both purchased.

But now you're talking about tomato dirt. Do you mean that you just had real dirt, whatever that might be, in those pots instead of purchased artificial mix and composted manure?

If using artificial mix and comosted manure in the pots anything grown in them will take up whatever nutrients are there and I assume you also fertilized your tomatoes as well, since the artificial mix is not a source of nutrients.

I don't know what Mill's Magic is in terms of specific content.

When I grow my roses they get fed nicely throughout the major part of the season but not in the Fall since I don't want new growth at that time.

Wouldn't you also be feeding your new roses as well, like even maybe soaking them if they come bare root, in a solution that contains some NPK, either blue stuff such as MG or Peters, or if organic some liquid fish or seaweed? I always do that presoaking whenever new bareroot roses came.

So right now I don't see the problem as regards having enough nutrients in those pots since you'll be adding it to those new roses once they've established themselves.

If I'm missing something here, please share that with me/us.

Carolyn

"Two years ago I began growing tomatoes in very large pots. Last year I left half of the soil, and filled up the pots with new soil. This year I have begun dumping out all the soil and replacing it. I have 20 large pots (half whiskey barrels or maybe about 16" pots) that I have been dumping where I intend to plant about 20 new roses in my rose garden. "

The above quote is what I wrote. It is accurate, but confusing. The roses will go into the rose garden, the tomatoes will go into the pots.

I will put new soil in the 20 pots for my tomatoes. I want to pour out the used soil from the pots, and put that soil in with my roses. I have about 150 antique rose bushes in the ground. I have lost many roses because of our harsh winter, and will replace them with new roses.

I have feared that the soil that grew the tomatoes would hurt my rose bushes.

Sammy

Thanks for the clarification.

Since you saw no galls on the tomatoes in the pots and no RKN problems which weren't even suspected, then the remainder of what's in the pots shouldn't be a problem dumping the contents in your rose garden.

But since you already have roses in that garden and already said:

(I hate gall, absolutely hate it. It is right there with Rose Rosette Disease.)

It appears that you already have gall problems in your rose garden unless you're saying that you have a new and old rose garden and the roses coming next week are going in the new rose garden where you're dumping the pot leftovers, if you will.

If it is a new area and is uncontaminated it would probably relate to Agrobacterieum and not RKN's b/c RKN's last time I knew were not a problem in OK b'c the ground freezes deeply in the winter.

Carolyn

We probably do have gall bacteria all over the garden. I purchase roses more carefully now, but have about 150 large plants with 20 more coming.

I have been growing them here since 1979, and have had many experiences. I did not understand that it was gall that she was talking about, but a basic contamination from the tomatoes.

Thanks for posting, and I will continue using the soil.

Sammy

You still don't give the source of the "new" soil being used unless I'm missing something. If it's dirt from the yard then you're asking for problems using it in containers.

My entire question was about disposing of the old soil, and possibly contaminating my roses.

We have purchased 70 bags of potting soil in bags from Lowe's. It worked well last year and the year before, so we intend to use it now.

We have invested in the very large pots, and in concrete wire to put around the pots. This year I need to figure out how to continue to support the tomatoes as they go over the concrete. I intend to ask about things like that as the year continues. I also want to start freezing the tomatoes.

I appreciate your responses, and need to come here more often. However, I will do my best to make my questions more clear.

Sammy