QUESTION: I have two rose bushes and the flowers are beautiful, but there are small, irregular holes in some of the older leaves. My neighbor’s roses have black spots on the leaves. What causes these things?
There seem to be so many things that can bug roses: aphids, spider mites, Japanese beetles, thrips. Blackspot, anthracnose, mildew.
Damage to leaves is most often caused by insects. If you find holes in the leaves of your rose bushes, most likely they have been visited by the chewing kind. One likely suspect may be the little caterpillars known as rose slugs, the larva of an insect called a sawfly.
A little research reveals that the adult lays her eggs on the leaf surface, and when the larvae hatch they move to the underside of the leaf and begin feeding, creating holes between the veins. Finally, the larva drops to the ground, and later emerges as an adult sawfly, ready to begin the cycle again. There can be six generations a year.
The best method for eradication is to pluck these things off the leaves when you see them. Examine the undersides of the leaves, particularly, for the ¾-inch, lime green caterpillars. If you feel you must spray something, a pyrethrin product is advised.
The black spots on rose leaves could be one of several possibilities: Anthracnose is a fungal disease that causes black spots that later turn purple or brown. It thrives where conditions are moist. Downy mildew begins with irregular purplish spots that turn black. The most common, though, is a condition called blackspot, another fungus that thrives in moist conditions.
These diseases overwinter on old leaves that fall to the ground, so it’s good gardening practice to clean up around the base of the shrubs and remove dead foliage. The experts at the Nashville Rose Society recommend a regular fungicide spray schedule beginning in the spring.
With all that can go wrong with roses, why bother growing them? Because if you have the right sun and soil conditions, they can be one of the most rewarding plants in the garden.
Eating extra-local — from your back yard
Find ideas for all that zucchini, that basket full of okra, all those tomates, plus summer garden tips and tasks in the August Garden Calendar at Tennessean.com.
Garden events in Middle Tennessee
August 20: Julie Berbiglia of NPT’s Volunteer Gardener is the speaker at this month’s Perennial Plant Society of Middle Tennessee meeting at Cheekwood’s Botanic Hall. Her topic: “Water Conservation.” Refreshments at 6:30, meeting at 7 p.m. The public is invited. www.ppsmt.org.
August 22: Hosta hybridizer Bob Solburg of Green Hill Farm in Franklinton, N.C. is the speaker at this month’s meeting of the Middle Tennessee Hosta Society at Cheekwood. The meet-and-greet begins at 6:30, meeting at 7 p.m., and Solburg will have plants for sale. www.mths-hosta.com.
Filed under: Diseases, Plant pests | Tagged: anthracnose, black spots, blackspot, holes in leaves, powdery mildew, rose slugs, Roses, sawfly | Leave a comment »