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• <br /> AN ORNAMENTAL <br /> ROSE GARDEN <br /> MANAGED WITHOUT <br /> INSECTICIDES OR <br /> FUNGICIDES �. n . .. ,�,�,� <br /> _g� .+-. 7-'A' <. .i .`r i rn'^b. « Y. k "'' ,� ° o �. 'Y {!.k c r' ' .' a"- s• 1 - O <br /> '' x`L,� ,tom- V. > IS 7 r +�"�'"�F '=r '7' ` �'�-" ° . '•1 <br /> r k y .. - � " K .. + - nsa� ��'' x',� if " � ���� y rt � .r t � t �y `' <br /> - *.f ta e „ ! tf"'9'fJR ' p� �' T O �42J�{'4i a ..h 1 <br /> AS PUBLISHED IN : Y Y ° �a�� � �� "'• <br /> 4 p xb {d s7.te+%;t:." -1:1 1 y 't..n .1a- ,433V -r '.-Tisi' -05* €j <br /> The American Rose ! ``it' , •t, <br /> � '� a � > `y ,� t G . ' .�. # �',Ir r - �'«,� �. .T + , . � .' -- <br /> e ?,�. 4 a �' at�rR.t 7 in ' ac 1 .; 4 ,« <br /> January, 1990 •i <br /> Tim Rhay , � � <br /> Turf & Grounds Supervisor ='• ? <br /> Eugene Parks Services Division ze . <br /> Eugene, OR 97401 <br /> The entry of the George E. Owen Municipal Rose Garden. <br /> All photos courtesy of the author. <br /> A community asset for decades, the George E. Owen Municipal Even the gardeners were surprised by their success. "Ten years <br /> Rose Garden has always rewarded visitors with the unique beauty ago, I would have said we couldn't stop spraying," says Paul <br /> of formal plantings on the classic European/English model, but it Heard, assistant to Head Gardener Glenn Thompson. But both <br /> is worth a visit today for additional reasons. For the last three men see significant advantages to their IPM approach and, <br /> years, by applying the principles of integrated pest management, surrounded by beauty that speaks louder than words of the <br /> the staff of Owen Garden has been able to maintain the demand- effectiveness of their methods, neither harbors a desire to return <br /> ing aesthetic standards inherent to such a site with no need for to the "old days" of pesticide- intensive rose care. <br /> insecticide or fungicide spray applications. "It's a great relief," says Thompson. "It saves lots of money and <br /> Eugene, Oregon's Parks Services Division formally adopted time for other things." The savings are invested in a good cultural <br /> IPM for all vegetation and pest control operations in 1980. This program: irrigation, fertilization, pruning, transplanting methods <br /> methodology, which is thought to have originated in agriculture and timing and site manipulation /management. The idea is to <br /> with the work of USDA employees Hunter and Coad in 1923, keep the roses healthy, eliminating the need to invest in spray <br /> stresses the use of naturally occurring controls and cultural programs. <br /> practices in combination (integrated) with application of pesti- Predatory insects help hold aphid populations below the level <br /> cide materials only when infestation levels reach a "threshold" that would require insecticide application. Soap solutions have <br /> (determined in agriculture by economic factors). By substituting proven effective when the "treatment threshold" is reached, but <br /> realistic maintenance standards for the economic criteria and their use is confined to identified infested plants rather than <br /> setting treatment thresholds below the point where those stan- garden -wide treatments. This keeps non - target impact to a mini - <br /> dards would be compromised, Eugene has adapted the IPM mum (another principle of IPM) and helps to maintain the <br /> strategy to the full range of grounds maintenance weed and pest predator population. An updated irrigation system, installed in <br /> control situations. 1986, also has assisted. The modem irrigation heads do an <br /> The program has been an unqualified success, enabling the effective job of "water blasting" aphids off of the foliage. <br /> Division to dramatically'reduce pesticide use without negative Disease control is similar but even more remarkable, because <br /> impacts on maintenance standards or costs, and attracting inter- the need for pre - emptive fungicide applications at regular inter- <br /> national attention. The rose garden's program has been particu- vals is so widely accepted as necessary among rosarians. Indeed, <br /> larly satisfying because, in the beginning, it was generally ac- even many who disapprove of chemical pesticides will admit this <br /> cepted that dramatic reductions in pesticide use would not be need and suggest alternative plant materials or the use of only the <br /> possible there. most disease - resistant varieties of roses — neither of which is a <br />