Rose rosette disease workshop slated Sept. 10 at OSU-OKC

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Gardening enthusiasts and greenhouse professionals who carefully tend their rose gardens know first-hand how devastating rose rosette disease can be.

Those who are wanting to get more information on rose rosette disease, the treatment for it and how to help prevent it, have an opportunity to learn more at the Rose Rosette Disease Workshop, said Mike Schnelle, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension floriculture specialist.

This informative workshop will take place Sept. 10 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the Agriculture Resource Center, room 196, on the OSU-OKC campus, 400 N. Portland Ave. The workshop is open to the public. A registration form is available at www.osuokc.edu/tdc/pdf/TDC_Application.pdf. Fill out the form and mail or fax it, along with the $30 registration fee, to the address or fax number at the top of the form.

“This workshop will be team-taught by experts from multiple disciplines, all of which are relevant to rose rosette disease,” Schnelle said. “Specialists in plant pathology, horticulture and entomology will be on hand to share their expertise.”

Rose rosette disease is a virus vectored by a specific eriophyid mite. The symptoms of the disease can vary greatly and include exaggerated thorniness to flowers that will not fully open.

“The experts and specialists teaching this workshop are hopeful attendees will go home with the tools to visually detect current and future outbreaks,” Schnelle said. “Roses are a valuable asset to the Oklahoma landscape. It can be devastating for a commercial grower or homeowners to experience an outbreak of the disease. With educational efforts we can continue to enjoy all that this group of plants has to offer.”

For more information, please call 405-945-3373 or email tdc@osuokc.edu.