molinuex, I was on line searching some information and accidentally come back to this post. Wow, what a beautiful picture for SA. Actually, I have one SA already, but it's grafted on Dr.Huey. So I am thinking about getting an own root and hopely I can keep it longer this time. It sure is a winner compared to Eglantyne . When I look out of my window now, I can see my 3' high SA blooms like crazy (the flowers are smaller in summer though) and only has BS here and there. On the other hand, the giant 6' Egalantyne is covered with BS and has two or three tiny flower buds. Even, their are both under the guard the Bayer 3 in 1. Every time, when I walk pass Eglantyne, I just can hear he (or she) crying for a "spread".

Hi Kousa: You mean beneficial bacteria? Beneficial bacteria are plenty in yogurt like L. Acidophillus (also added to horse feed). Beneficial bacteria are in healthy soil and in horse manure. One example is Bacillus thuringiensis, an organism fatal to caterpillars but perfectly safe for plants and other animals. Some horse manure contain beneficial nematodes (added by the stable) to control flies population. Midge is between a gnat and a small fly. Horse manure, IF it has beneficial nematodes, is effective for midge-control. Most stables have a "free heap" of manure, so the public can help themselves, without permission. The stable in my small village has a horse-manure pile the size of a 2-story house. FUNGAL DISEASES are: Blackspots, mildew, rust, canker, gray mold, and powdery mildew. Any type of mushroom is also a fungi. Fungi does not like extreme alkalinity, like pH above 8. Baking soda pH is 8.3, and is used against black spots. Fungi grows best at neutral to acidic soil above pH 4. I researched on agricultural midge, or swede midge. Experiments at Cornell University stated, " Laboratory results indicated that extremely dry and extremely wet soil hinders swede midge emergence. Optimal moisture content for swede midge emergence was from 25 ��" 75 %, and varied in different soils." Cornell University recommends crop rotation, but that's not possible with roses. That explains why I don't have rose midge in my rock-hard clay. My heavy clay is sticky-wet when it's rained, and rock-hard when dry. 15 minutes from me is Cantigny rose park, with 1,200 roses. They use zero mulch, just bare dirt. But when people mulch with bark, that retains optimal moisture level longer for midge germination. More from Cornell University: "These results suggest that cultural practices, such as flooding fields during non-cropping periods to achieve 100% soil moisture level or even DRYING THE SOIL, may be viable methods to reduce swede midge emergence. Similarly, swede midge populations and damage are expected to be REDUCED when saturated soil or drought conditions occur." eHow recommended that for rose midge, removing the top soil, and putting new soil in late season will stop midge from germinating next year. That's what I do in zone 5a for winter-protection: I dump new soil in late fall, to protect my roses. The bagged soils here are alkaline clay, pH near 8, makes it impossible for any insects to thrive. Two of my 55+ roses had rose midge early spring, since I did not dump alkaline soil this past winter. It's just fluffy potting soil, which holds the ideal moisture for midge germination. I flooded the soil repeatedly, plus our week-long heavy rain killed all the midge larvae by early summer. Conclusion: Midge doesn't like soil too wet, nor too dry .. and sticky alkaline clay does just that. From a University Extension, I learned the midge hatch from the top 1 to 2" of soil, so removing the top surface of soil helps. One lazy way is dust a thin layer of wood-ash, its extreme alkalinity would kill any midge larvae, and disease-causing fungi. From Missouri Botanical Garden "Rose midges are microscopic insects that can blacken and kill rosebuds and leaves. The destructive, whitish maggots usually hatch after the first bloom cycle and rasp tender plant tissue as they feed, causing leaves and blossoms to blacken and shrivel. An unchecked, heavy infestation can eliminate bloom from late spring to early fall. After feeding, the larvae drop to the soil, pupate, and emerge as reddish or yellowish brown flies within a week. To control this pest, remove and destroy affected flower buds and leaves as soon as you spot midge damage." Here is a link that might be useful: Cornell University on midge

Hi Marlorena- I have doubts about whether Geschwind ever released a rose named Eugene E. Marlitt. The earliest reference to the rose I can find is in French (Nomenclature de tous les noms de roses connus... by Simon and Cochet-Cochet, 2nd ed. 1906), and references 'Eugénie John Marlitt' as a 1902 HT raised by Geschwind. In the 19th C. there was a German novelist who wote romances under the pen-name E. Marlitt; her real name was Eugenie John. I can find no other early 20th C. references until 1912 when the rose (now called 'Mme Eugene Marlitt') is hailed in an American catalog as one of the finest red HT's known. Sometime in the 1920's, she apparently switched genders, as rose names sometimes do (and a sex-change via typo sounds much less painful than surgery). It's easy to see how Eugenie can sound like Eugene E., but was the rose still going by Eugenie even in the 1920's? There are no early references that I can find (and I've looked, but probably my method was lacking) in German. Not in Rosen-zeitung or any other publication. It's true that I don't speak or read German, although I do know enough "rose German" to usually be able to translate rose descriptions I find when adding references to HMF. So I wonder what Geschwind called this rose, if it really was his rose. There doesn't seem to be anything at all that's straightforward about the Marlitt rose, and I'm surprised that anyone could find a specimen with a reliable provenance to test against "Maggie". As for whether "Maggie" would be a good rose for you, the question is moot if you can't find one, but it does seem to be fairly adaptable. And sometimes roses that are heat-loving also do well in cooler climes (Geschwind's 'Gruss an Teplitz' is apparently grown throughout much of SE Asia, but I seem to recall that you grow it too). So if you did happen across a "Maggie" one day, it might be fun to try it out. Virginia ETA: Since writing the above, I did locate a 1907 reference to Mme Eugene in a U.S. catalog.

Teresa, you have some really pretty ones! Self Fulfilling Prophecies and Tigrillo Afternoon are my favorites. Such great colors! However, I like them all! I really enjoyed seeing this post again, especially all of Celeste's purples! Celeste, if you are lurking, we need to see some of your seedlings! Brad