| A well-cared for rose garden can still be vulnerable | | | | leaves begin to drop and the plant weakens over |
| to various diseases and insect attacks. Mildew, | | | | time. Neem oil and dormant sprays of lime sulphur |
| aphids, and spider mites are the most common | | | | and potassium will contain the disease. |
| causes of distress for your valuable rose plant. | | | | Downy Mildew is prevalent in cool and wet |
| Preventing diseases is possible if adequate care is | | | | weather conditions. It appears as purple spots |
| taken. In spite of all your nurturing if your plant | | | | with yellowed edges on the veins and along the |
| contracts a disease, you can still rescue your plant | | | | stems and a pale grey fuzzy growth under the |
| and restore it's health and vigor in no time. | | | | leaves. Regularly pruning and a dormant spray will |
| Prevention | | | | help. |
| While selecting your rose plants, pick the variety | | | | Rust manifests in areas where the nights are cool |
| that is hardy and disease-resistant. Remember | | | | and appears as tiny orange spots under the |
| that pests attack weak plants first so keep the | | | | leaves. It causes the leaves to drop. All infected |
| soil watered and fertilized regularly. Watering and | | | | leaves must be removed to avoid spread of the |
| fertilizing should, however, be well-moderated as | | | | disease. Applying neem oil in addition to pruning |
| excessive water or fertilizer content in the soil | | | | and a good dormant spray is known to help. |
| attracts insects and spread of disease. Check the | | | | Mosaic Virus can be termed the 'cancer' of all |
| soil for water content by poking your finger into | | | | diseases as it is usually terminal and even though |
| the soil about 3 inches deep. If your finger is dry, | | | | it does not immediately kill the plant, over time |
| you need to water; if it is moist, it is just right; | | | | the plant loses it's vigour and immunity and may |
| and if it is muddy, then you've added too much. | | | | not survive the winter. You might as well give up |
| Water the plant only at the root level but | | | | and remove the infected plant. It appears as |
| occasional spraying of the leaves will give the | | | | yellow or light green mottling on the plant and |
| plant a fresh green look, get rid of insects, and | | | | new growth of the plant is stunted and deformed. |
| retain the humidity. Pruning regularly, especially in | | | | The only good thing about this virus is that it does |
| humid areas, will keep the plant well-ventilated but | | | | not spread easily to other plants. If you are lucky |
| remember to stop pruning at least 6 weeks | | | | and it is just a mild infection, it might recover on |
| ahead of frost. Always mulch regularly around the | | | | it's own but there is no active treatment for this. |
| roots as this keeps soil-borne diseases at bay. Do | | | | Botrytis is a fungus that attacks the foliage and in |
| not randomly spray with insecticides as some | | | | most cases does not allow the bud to blossom |
| insects are beneficial for your rose plant: lady | | | | and shrivels the plant. Plenty of ventilation with |
| beetles & green lacewings eat aphids, predatory | | | | pruning will help. Remove all diseased parts of the |
| mites eat spider mites, and parasitic wasps enjoy | | | | plant. |
| caterpillars. And adult beetles do not succumb to | | | | Canker is another fungus that insidiously enters |
| pesticides so you will need to hand-pick those off | | | | healthy plants through pruning cuts; splashing |
| your plant. Stave off diseases by spraying your | | | | water, or even dirty garden tools can cause it to |
| plant, once a year, with a fungicide with lime or | | | | spread. Dead and discoloured areas of the canes |
| copper supplements, labelled for use in rose plants. | | | | are clear signs of this infection. Remove all |
| Using a good nutrient-rich fertilizer once every | | | | infected parts of the plant and do not fertilize or |
| two to three months will increase immunity and | | | | prune the plant as this will cause the disease to |
| keep your plant healthy. | | | | spread. Use copper-based fungicides for effective |
| Diagnosis and Treatment | | | | control of the disease. |
| Black Spot is a water-borne fungus that attacks | | | | Always remember that preemptive measures are |
| rose plants in humid areas. You can easily identify | | | | far better than rescue efforts! |
| it's onset by the black spots on the leaves. The | | | | |