[Image: pink]Materials and Methods:
No. 1 grade bare-root plants of ‘Drift’ series roses (Peach, Coral, Red and Pink) were obtained from Conard-Pyle / Star Roses in February 2009. Plants were established in a full sun landscape trial at Burden Center, an LSU Agricultural Center agricultural experiment station in Baton Rouge, La. (USDA hardiness zone 8B, AHS heat zone 8). Plants were placed in raised rows of Oliver silt loam soil (normal pH 6.2) approximately 5 feet apart in a randomized complete block design with each cultivar having 5 plants replicated in two blocks. Supplemental irrigation was provided as needed via a drip system. Plants were fertilized in early March after planting with Sta-Green Nursery Special 12-6-6 and again in midsummer at the rate of 1.5 pounds N per 1,000 square feet. Pine straw mulch is maintained on the planting at a depth of 2 inches. Hand weeding along with spot applications of glyphosate are used for post-emergent weed control. Pre-emergent weed control is accomplished with Amaze granular herbicide. Plants were not pruned, pinched or deadheaded from February through September 2009. In addition, fungicides and insecticides have not been applied. The same study is under way at the LSU AgCenter’s Hammond Research Station, Hammond, La. (data not shown).
Data:
Visual quality ratings based on a scale from 1 to 5 (1=dead, 2=below average landscape performance, 3=average landscape performance, 4=above average landscape performance, 5=superior landscape performance) were taken June 15 and September 1 (data below is average of pooled data). Included in this rating was plant foliage color, flower appeal, uniformity and overall growth habit. Cercospora leaf spot and blackspot ratings were taken September 1 and were based on a scale from 1 to 6 (where 1=no leaf spot, 2=1-10 percent foliage with leaf spot, 3=11-25 percent foliage with leaf spot, 4=26-50 percent foliage with leaf spot, 5=51-75 percent foliage with leaf spot, and 6=76-100 percent foliage with leaf spot). Height measurements were taken September 1 and were measured from the soil line to the tallest plant part. Spread measurements were taken September 1 and were determined by taking an average of the largest visual width and the plant width perpendicular to the visually largest width.
Table 1. Landscape performance of the ‘Drift’ series roses at Burden Center, LSU AgCenter, as determined by visual quality ratings, blackspot and Cercospora leaf spot susceptibility, plant height and canopy spread – 2009.
Cultivar Visual Quality Blackspot Cercospora Heightz Spreadz
Peach 3.7 1.2 3.1 48.2 73.6
Coral 3.4 1.4 2.3 47.0 78.3
Red 3.0 1.4 1.2 45.0 78.1
Pink 3.7 1.2 1.0 45.2 90.1
zHeight and spread measured in centimeters. 2.54 cm = 1 inch.