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In the surroundings of the small town of Espiells, even today, with the heat that it is, we can see the flowering rose bush at the beginning of the rows of vines.
Plant the rose bush to detect possible pests in the vineyard, a very curious and efficient detail, which still persists, as we see in this series of images in Las Fotos de los Lectores de La Vanguardia.
The rose bushes planted at the foot of the vineyard are used as a biological alarm element, beyond the fact that, obviously, they also give a decorative touch.
Having rose bushes in the vineyard, as we can see in the Penedès, is a cheap, ecological, effective and, at the same time, always beautiful way of being aware of possible infections or fungal plagues on the vines.
The rose bushes are placed at the foot of the vineyard, marking the rows, as can be seen in these images. Vulnerable to many of the same diseases and pests as vines, they are a natural guardian of vines.
The vines are very sensitive to different fungal attacks, for example, powdery mildew (also called “ash” because it leaves spots on the vine leaves, which are covered with a whitish powder).
Powdery mildew usually appears in spring, although in certain climates it can last until summer and even autumn. It is a fungal disease. Powdery mildew is a vegetable disease that is difficult to eradicate and control. It affects the quality and quantity of grapes. It is best to prevent it, as the saying goes.
And it turns out that this fungus has a predilection for roses, a plant that will attack before the vine. Therefore, the rose bushes are sacrificed, in a certain way, to preserve the vineyard.
The practice of planting rose bushes in vineyards dates back to the 19th century, when a fungus from England attacked vines in Europe. Specifically, it dates back to 1851, when the Oidium tuckeri fungus entered. It was some monks from French Burgundy who realized that the rose bush was infected earlier and that it could be a good pest prevention element. And so it is to this day.
