Rose plant care tips: Top 9 reasons why most of the people fail in growing roses

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Roses are one of the most preferred and beautiful flowering plants that are grown in gardens. Rose plant care tips are easy and one can produce beautiful flowers with a pleasant fragrance. The rose flowers and rose hip are also used for many commercial purposes. There are more than 300 species of rose plants and these plants can easily be hybridized. The plants can be either a shrub or a climber. The flowers come in varied colors of yellow, pink, red, white. 

Rose Plant Care Tips:

These plants even though require very little care. These plants can sometimes show signs of stunted growth or no growth and can also die without much signs of infections. Please find below some of the common Rose plant care tips:

Not maintaining proper sunlight

First point in rose plant care tips in sunlight, they require 6-8 hours of sunlight per day. The plants can appear weak or wilted if they are not provided with the proper amount of sunlight. Place the plants at spots with bright direct sunlight. In places with harsh summer provide partial shade during afternoons. Proper sunlight can help in maintaining the humidity and prevent most of the diseases and pest attack.

If you are living in the area where the temperature goes very high in summers, please keep the plant in partial shade. You can also use green net to save to rose plant from harsh summers.

Lack of fertilizer or over fertilized soil

Use of nutrient deficient or soil with excess nutrient both can harm the growth of rose plants. Provide the plants with an organic fertilizer once in a month and make sure to keep the surroundings free from weeds. Deficiency of nutrients can cause the leaves to appear yellow. Phosphorous rich fertilizers will be helpful in blooming the flowers.

Too much fertilizer can also affect the plant health. The leaves can look burnt and shriveled.

Wrong selection of soil bed

All the rose care tips will go waste if you do not select proper soil. Rose require a well-draining nutrient rich soil. Make sure to add enough organic matter to the soil to make them rich in organic matter. Mulch the soil enough to prevent the loss of water and to prevent the transfer of the soil borne pathogens to the plants. Add fertilizer to the soil once a month.

Not Pruning the rose properly

Pruning is very essential part of rose plant care tips. Prune the roses on a regular basis. Remove the dried flower heads, yellow and dried leaves. Cut back the stems to ½ of the length ones a year before growing season to give a bushier appearance. In case of nursery bought plants, take care not to trim off the grafted area (bulging part of the stem), this can affect the plant and can prevent it from growing.

Watering issues

They prefer regular watering preferably in the morning. Excess or very little watering can cause the plants to turn weak and droop. It can also prevent flowering. 

Fungal diseases in Roses

Theeta is one of the best organic pesticide for the plants and can be used in rose plant for keeping the plant healthy.

If you talk about rose plant care tips, it is not complete without discussing fungal diseases.

Fungal infections are one of the main reasons that causes death of the rose plants. A plant with no proper care can easily fall prey to the fungal pathogens. If not taken care properly or not given the right treatment at the right time, the plants can wilt and die. Some of the common fungal pathogens are Black spot, Powdery mildew, Botrytis Blight and Rust:

Black spot in Roses

It is one of the most common diseases seen in rose plants which is caused by a fungal pathogen. The diseases spread mostly during summers or when the climate changes to dry conditions from a high moisture content in the air. The infected leaves develop black circular spots with yellow borders. The leaves can turn yellow wilt and die. The stems can develop purple blotches. This can result in stunted growth of the plant, yellowing of leaf and can also affect the flowering. 

Prevention for Black spot in roses:

Prune the plants regularly especially when the temperature is cold. Avoid overhead watering of the plants. Maintains the humidity around the plant in case of plants growing in colder regions or placed in shade. Provide bright direct sunlight for at least 6-8 hours per day. Replace the old mulch with a new layer during the spring season. Use resistant varieties to prevent any kind of infections.

Cure for Black spot in roses:

In case of any signs of infection, remove the infected leaf or stem and destroy it. In case of severe infection prune back the plant to remove the infected region and later to ½ the total length. A mild fungicide can be used to get rid of the infection.

Powdery mildew in Roses

It is a disease caused by a soil borne fungal pathogen. It is one of the common diseases seen in rose plants. The infected leaves develop greyish white powdery substances on them. These leaves can turn yellow, can become distorted, wilt and fall. Seen mostly in plants that grow in high humid conditions or plants that are placed in shady regions. The plants can also have stunted growth and the flowering is also affected. If not treated in time, the plants can wilt and die.

Prevention of Powdery mildew in Roses:

The best way to prevent powdery mildew is to place the rose plants in spots with enough sunlight which helps in controlling the humidity around the plant. Avoid overhead watering of the plant. In case of excess water on the leave make sure to get rid of them. Water the plants in the morning to avoid any moisture remaining in the night. 

Cure of Powdery mildew in Roses: 

Remove the infected leaves or the part of the plant as soon as possible and destroy it. In case of severe infection and spread, use a mild fungicide or neem oil to get rid of the infection. 

Botrytis Blight in Roses

It is a fungal disease infecting rose plants. The pathogens mostly infect the flowers or the buds which can spread to the stems. The infected stems can develop cankers and can dieback. The flowers develop a greyish brown fuzzy growth on the petals surrounded by a reddish halo. These can spread quickly to form irregular blotches. The infected buds fail to open and can droop and fall.

Prevention of Botrytis Blight in Roses:

Avoid overhead watering of the plant. Prune the plants regularly and remove the dried flowers and the leaves. Provide proper aeration. Make sure to avoid excess moisture content on the flowers and the stems. Place the plant in spots with enough sunlight to prevent excess moisture content.

Cure of Botrytis Blight in Roses::

Remove the infected parts as soon as possible. In case of mild infections, use neem oil during hot weather conditions. In case of severe infection use a chemical fungicide with copper or thiophanate methyl. 

Rust in Roses

It is a fungal disease that affects almost all the parts of the plant except for root and petals. The infected part develops orange spots which look like rust. In case of severe infection, the rust can also be seen on the ground below the plant. The infected part can turn yellow, wilt and fall.

Prevention of Rust in Roses:

Prune the plants regularly to provide proper aeration. Avoid overhead watering of the plants. Plant the roses in places with good air circulation and proper sunlight.

Cure of Rust in Roses:: 

Remove the infected part of the plant as soon as possible. Trim back the infected branches to ¼ its length. In case of severe infection or spread use a fungicide with mancozeb, myclobutanil or propiconazole. In case of mild infection neem oil can be sprayed to the plant. The best way to protect the plant from rust is to prevent the attack of the disease-causing pathogen. 

Viral disease in Roses

Rose plants are prone to viral attack. The diseases caused by viruses are mostly not curable so the plants should be destroyed immediately or can lead to the spread of the disease and death of the plant.

Rose Rosette disease

It is a disease caused by Rose rosette virus (RRV). The virus is spread by rose leaf curl mite. This is untreatable and the infected plant has to be destroyed. The infected branches show red terminal growth and the stems become thicker and more succulent. The infected stems develop green or red pliable thorns. The infected leaves have stunted growth or are distorted, the flowering is reduced and the number of petals is reduced and distorted in shape. The symptoms are more prominent during the growing season and can spread throughout the plant and from plant to plant quite easily. The infected plants should be destroyed.

Prevention and cure for Rose Rosette:

There is no proper prevention or cure for the disease. However, the spread of the disease can be prevented by removing the infected plant as soon as possible and destroying it. Remove any part of the root, stem that has chances of re sprouting.  Destroy the infected fallen leaves or petals. Make sure to provide enough space between the plants so that they are not in contact with each other. Treat the uninfected plants with bifenthrin spray to prevent the spread from any infected plant in the vicinity. 

Bacterial disease in Roses

Bacterial infections are controllable and can be managed by taking proper care at the right time. However, not identifying the disease or without proper care and treatment the plants can die.

Crown gall in Roses

It is one of the common bacterial diseases seen in roses. The bacteria enter the plant through an injured area or through a wound and can spread throughout the plant. The infection causes the development of a tissue growth on the infected areas. The tissues appear as small outgrowths which can further increase in size. The infection starts at the crown of the plant hence named crown gall.

Prevention for Crown gall in roses: 

Provide proper sunlight to the plants. Prune the plants on a regular basis to provide enough aeration. There is no proper prevention to this disease. Proper care and nutrition can help the plant withstand itself from the pathogens causing crown gall.

Cure for Crown gall in roses: 

Remove the infected plant as soon as possible and destroy it. To get rid of the bacteria in the soil and to prevent its spread make sure not to plant any rose plant in the same spot. There is no cure to the infection but the spread of the disease can be slowed down. 

Pests attacks in Roses

Roses are prone to pests and are one of the hosts for most of the pests. Some of the pests that are commonly seen to attack rose plants are aphids, spider mites, caterpillars, Japanese beetles, thrips, rose sawflies, flea beetle, root-knot nematode, rose scale etc. They can attack the plant at any point of time and can also be carriers to various fungal and bacterial infections. If not treated at the right time, pest attack can attract other plant pathogens that can make the plants weak, wilt and ultimately die.

Prevention of Pests in Roses:

Provide proper aeration to the plant. Prune the plants to reduce the thickness. Provide proper bright direct sunlight to reduce the moisture content around the plant. 

Cure or Pests in Roses:

In case of pest attack, it is best to use Neem oil or any mild soap solution. Remove the infected part of the plant as some pests can be carriers to various diseases. In case of severe pest attack use a mild pesticide. High pressure watering of the leaves can also help get rid of the pests. In case of mild attack remove them with your hands. Spraying Neem oil once a week can also help keep the pests at bay.

Hope you would have got the good rose plant care tips. Keep growing rose with full confidence.

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