Where can you purchase Gallex?

Question

We have three old beautiful “New Dawn” climbing roses that have become infected with crown gall. Yesterday, we dug one up and discarded it. Today, I performed surgery on the second (tried to remove as much as the gall as I could). Our third New Dawn climbs the chimney and cascades over an arbor in front of a large picture window. So beautiful when healthy. Last year, we cut this one to the soil level, she managed a weak comeback with thin canes that look like they have sprung out of the middle of a cow patty! From everything we’ve read, it looks fairly hopeless to try and save these roses. We read about Gallex and we would like to know where we can buy it. Please let us know who we should contact.

Sincerely,
Julia McCullough

Answer 1

Crown gall is a tough customer. I have tried to treat it before without any success, the Gallex and Galltrol-A products are hard to find and very expensive. It would not be so bad if it positively worked but the best hope for success treating it seems to be less than 50-50. I know it is hard to do, but it is best to dig the infected bushes out along with the surrounding soils for a good foot around the bushes. Spray the soils area with a fungicide, then replace with a good garden soils mix. I would highly recommend then planting some roses named Awakening. She is related to New Dawn but really is a more hardy rosebush and in my experience gives you even better bloom production. I will try to find the company that makes the gallex and galltrol-A. If I can, I will post the information here for you.

Answer 2

I have found another treatment for Crown Gall that has been successful for others, here is what this treatment entails:
To control crown gall in roses, remove the infested plant and prune out gall tissue. Soak the entire root system and cut surfaces for 15 minutes in a solution of 2 level Tbsp of Fire Blight Spray per 2-1/2 gallons of water. Replant in healthy soil, and apply 1/2 Tbsp per 2-1/2 gallons of water as a foliar spray at weekly intervals.

Here is a link to a top notch Fire Blight powder that is mixed with water to make a spray, follow the mixing directions above. Link: http://www.planetnatural.com/product/fire-blight-spray/

I also read an article about controlling crown gall by burning the gall area with a propane torch and heating the gall to the point of it turning redish in color. Then take away the heat. This destroys the tissues that are then to be cut out and sprayed with a product like the Fire Blight spray. Seems more like a “last resort” treatment to this old rose man. 🙂