Red Spider Mite

The red-spider mite loves warm airless conditions and will thrive in the greenhouse. The mite is extremely small and will not often be spotted even though it infests in great numbers. It is the fine web that it w... [Read more]

Rose Slug Sawfly

The larvae of black fly are the culprits that eat away the flesh of a rose leaf, leaving behind only a skeleton of veins. They will finish one leaf completely before moving to the next and the only successful for... [Read more]

Rust

Rust enjoys warm and damp conditions and can totally destroy a rose if infestation is bad enough. Symptoms first appear in early summer in the form of small bright orange pustules on the undersides of leaves. They... [Read more]

Spray Damage

If regular spraying is a common practice in the garden, make sure that two sprayers are kept, one specifically for weed killers. If inadvertently used without thorough cleaning, traces of weed killer from the knap... [Read more]

Stem Canker

This is seldom seen on younger well-tended roses, occurring most frequently on mature plants with a high percentage of old wood. It manifests itself in the form of gnarled, swollen lesions, often with surrounding ... [Read more]

The use of chemicals

We have recommended in various articles that chemicals are the best way to control many diseases and pests. If only this were not the case but, until successful environmentally friendly alternatives come along, many h... [Read more]

Thrips

Thrips will nibble around the edges of petals and carve out sections of tightly furled rose buds. It is often the damage that is noticed before the insect and by this time it is too late. Control is difficult an... [Read more]

Viruses

Viruses are not contagious between roses in the garden and if present will have been there since the plant was propagated. Most commercial growers produce their plants by budding scions of a variety onto a rootst... [Read more]