roses - all the leaves have been eaten away on 9 plants - Ask Extension
I have 9 rose plants (shrub and bush/tea roses) and all have been completely stripped of leaves within the past month. This is the first year for this...
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roses - all the leaves have been eaten away on 9 plants #462264
Asked June 14, 2018, 10:18 AM EDT
I have 9 rose plants (shrub and bush/tea roses) and all have been completely stripped of leaves within the past month. This is the first year for this problem. In the past I have had problems with mildew and leaf spot but the plants survived to the next year. This year I am worried that I will loose all my plants since they have no leaves to 'feed' the roots.
Should I dig them up and move them to another location? Is there a chemical or organic treatment if they stay in the same location? Should I add fertilizer to the soil to 'feed them'? Or will fertilizer only stress the plants more?
Thank you,
Janet Eckhoff
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Hennepin County Minnesota
Expert Response
It is likely your roses are experiencing sawfly damage. Sawflies are small wasps. Their larva are capable of defoliating a plant. They are primarily present in the spring. If you do a daily check on your plants you can usually spot them and hand remove. Moving your plants will not eliminate this pest. At this time I would recommend pruning back some of the Rose. Keep you plants watered, from the bottom and preferably in the morning. Over a week or two you should notice leaves beginning to emerge again. Make sure you are also eliminating any larva or insects during this time. In 2-3 weeks, when the plant is beginning to fill out, begin fertilizing. Your plants should come back and be healthy the rest of the summer.
https://conservancy.umn.edu/bitstream/handle/11299/50134/1/6953.pdf
