Right now, you might want to plant massed species Marigolds in that spot, They're supposed to suppress the nematode populations that seem to be related to the ingress of A. tumefaciens into woody plants. Calendula is another nematode supressant. Jeri, I'm not sure about Carolina Lady. I've also read that it's very close to The Fairy, but I just don't see it being that close. LC seems to bloom a lot earlier and longer. I've got two huge ones (LC) on the fence line and so far haven't seen any gall problems with either. I think that there may be a systemic problem with a lot of The Fairys but the massed ones I had in New Orleans could live and bloom with it; now they've been replaced with a palm tree and azaleas. Once upon a time, rootstocks were chosen for their resistance to crown gall.

There are a number of different insect and mites that cause galls to form. There are gall wasps, gall midges, gall adelgids, etc. Some eriophyid mites, which are pretty different than spider mites, can cause galls. Galls can look pretty wierd, but for the most part, their impact on the plant is minimal. They are mostly a cosmetic problem on ornamentals. We have, and you probably have it in Boise also, the cooley spruce gall adelgid which causes cone-like galls to form on the tips of spruce branches. Heavy infestations can cause the tree to look pretty ratty, but it has little effect on plant health. If the galls are unsightly, then just cut them off. If you want to see more galls, try this site. Here is a link that might be useful: British Plant Gall Society

Just wanted to update on the crown gall problem with DA. They have since replaced the plants and they looked fine except for again there was some mold on one of the canes. I think that it is more of a shipping problem than a DA problem. Heat and moisture. Anyway when I called them I also asked if the crown gall was in the field. Their response was that they "do their best" to keep diseases out of the field. Unfortunately I did not save their email to me or I would share it. So we will see how these roses fare. They are looking pretty good. All kinds of shoots coming out and I never know what to prune off. I know to cut the inward facing shoots but still, I just hate cutting too much. I don't grow many roses because of my climate on the central Calif. coast. If it's not mildew and botrytis then it's thrips and rose slugs. I have a beautiful Marilyn Monroe that's on fortuniana and she is 5-6' (and would be just as wide if not for a fence) that I have sprayed and sprayed and still every year the botrytis comes back. Just so disheartening. Next time I think I will take Cynthia's advice and order from Roses Unlimited. Over the years I have heard nothing but great things about them. Thanks for everyone's replies, Janet

Perhaps incorrect but here is another. Gall can also enter thru the roots. Even if you never once dug within a roses root zone there will always be the underground insects ie. grubs wireworms among others that feed on roots. Most of us have nerver been so lucky to have placed our roses in the correct spot every time we plant. Sorry bart as that had nothing to do with your question. If we were able to have access to Galtrol we would be able to treat our plants before planting and when moving. Gall is a garden nightmare in a way. I'm not too bright when it comes to things like this but it seems as if the higher prices rise the less people purchase. Drop the prices to something doable and few in the nursery business would wish to deal with gall problems. Just a dumb thought. I did a bit of an experiment here in an area of my garden known to have had gall issues. Many years ago I removed all roses from this spot as several roses had become galled. For years only grew other plants here and they did well. The ground there had been dramatically improved. This is the sunniest spot in my yard and I needed it for roses. Three years ago I took the plunge and planted 7 Flower Carpets to see what would happen. I was not careful with the roses. they all received wounds right below the surface. I dug those out this year. Removed all the soil and carefully examined them. No gall was present. I'm now replanting this area in the coming spring. What did my little experiment tell me? Nothing really but I'm planting there now and hoping for the best.