[Willow Hill]

I just heard about what sounds like a good use for compost tea--as a foliar spray on roses when they start new growth in spring, to introduce lots of good microbes and prevent the spread of bad fungi like black spot, etc. Anybody done this? Are there other good organic ways to manage fungal problems? I have Roses and Viburnum davidii in a bed that doesn't get much air movement, in a corner of the house; black spot has been there awhile, I can tell.

[phototropic1]

I've found that the BEST way to control fungal diseases is by pruning. Thin out branches that are matted against each other and all dead branches. This will dramtically increase air movement within the plant. I can't imagine a foliar spray of compost tea would hurt, but comost around the plant would probably be just as good. Remember that leaves that are frequently wet are a magnet for fungi, so think about this when watering.

[Willow Hill]

I just cleaned up underneath and pruned yesterday; it started raining as I was finishing--hope I didn't do more harm than good by working on it when it was wet. I figured there is not much dry time in spring in Oregon anyway, so forged ahead. Think I'll try the spray and see how it works.

[phototropic1]

Let me know if you seem to get good results from the compost tea. Sounds like a great idea. I didn't mean to warn against trying the tea. I just wanted you to keep the wet foliage thing in mind when watering, etc. If you rely on supplemental water, better to use a soaker hose than an overhead sprinkler. And keep the plants thinned somewhat to keep that airflow going. Good luck!

[groundwork]

I've heard that sodium bicarbonate and potassium bicarbonate work as a fungicide. Have not tested it myself, though. Check out this article http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/bakingsoda.html.

Has anyone out there tried this? What were your results?

[Willow Hill]

phototropic--I applied compost tea in foliar spray (had some trouble with small bits of residue pluggiing up my sprayer) the first week in April. Things are looking real good now, first week in May. I am suggesting that my customer use drip irrigation. They do water with sprinklers and that will increase chances for viral infection. Thanks for the input!