Rose bushes are resistant shrubs that do not require excessive care. Even so, we must not forget that they are exposed to the harmful action of pests and diseases, generally caused by fungi or by tiny mites or insects. Detect in time pests and diseases of rose bushes It is important to preserve the beauty and health of plants, which can seriously deteriorate their leaves and flowers or even dry out and die. Especially in spring, when the rose bushes begin to bloom adorning the gardens with their colors and aroma, it is time to check their condition to be able to act in time in the event of any anomaly. Do you want to know how to remove pests in rose bushes? Keep reading this oneHOWTO article to learn how to detect the most common ones and remedy them.
Powdery mildew
It is one of the most frequent rose bushes and it is caused by fungus Sphaerotheca pannosa. It mainly affects the leaves and also the buds still unopened. You will be able to recognize it because the different parts of the plant appear covered with a kind of powder of a whitish to ash color. The presence of the fungus paralyzes the development of the rose bush and prevents flowering. To try to recover the rose bush it is important to eliminate the fungus, either by pruning the affected parts if they are heavily invaded, or by resorting to a homemade fungicide for rose bushes.
You can prepare one, simple and effective, by adding to half a liter of water, half of this amount (250ml.) Of milk along with a tablespoon of bicarbonate. With this mixture and with the help of a diffuser, water the leaves, stems and flowers of the rose bush and the plant will be able to recover. You can find more home remedies for powdery mildew here.
Mildew
It is also a fungus that is responsible for this pest that, once it affects a plant, can quickly spread throughout the garden. You will be able to recognize it because it causes yellow and white spots on the leaves of the rosebush, especially on the edges and at the tip and also on the flowers themselves. The underside of the leaves turns greyish and may appear dusty.
If it is not treated in time, the mildew will cause the leaves to dry out and that the plant is lost after a few days. It usually occurs in areas with a hot climate and high humidity and the best remedy to combat it is to apply fungicides or prune the affected parts.
Rust
Rust is a disease caused by different fungi, but the main responsible is usually the Phragmidium tuberculatum, which attacks the rose bush from the inside, causing serious damage. When the fungus develops and expands, a few orange bumps on rose leaves affected that, inevitably, will end up drying up. Fungicides and pruning are again the measures to be taken to prevent the pest from spreading.
Red spider
It is not actually a spider, but a mite what causes pests and diseases to rose bushes and many other plants. It is a tiny organism that is difficult to see but is detected because it causes the underside of the leaves to acquire a greyish hue, sometimes dotted with white dots. In addition, when the disease is widespread, you can easily see filaments similar to those of a spider web. You have specific products to combat spider mites, but as a home remedy you can try spraying by spraying an infusion made with dried nettles.
Learn more in this other post about How to eliminate spider mites from plants.
Aphid
The aphid is an insect of the aphid family and of which there are different species that inhabit, especially, the stem of the leaves of plants such as rose bushes. Seeing a few aphids on the rosebush does not imply any harm, but when they colonize a plant and become a aphids infestation it is essential to remove them. In this case, if you search home remedies for pests and diseases in rose bushes, spray the areas where you see aphids with a mixture of:
- Water (at least ½ liter) and a tablespoon of liquid soap.
- Onion water. Boil a chopped onion and use the cooking water (once cold) to spray the affected rose bushes.
- Water with a tablespoon of vinegar.
In these other articles we tell you How to eliminate aphids from rose bushes and more Home remedies against aphids.
Saw fly
You can suspect the presence of this insect, whose scientific name is Blennocampa Phillocolpa, because when it is installed in a plant it causes its leaves to roll up to be able to put its larvae in the cavity that is formed. It may seem that the sheet is simply a little dry, but you must check that it is not a sawfly infestation because i could end up killing the rosebush, because when the larvae hatch they begin to eat the leaves of the plant, as in this image. Removing the affected leaves and using an appropriate insecticide is the best alternative.
How to prevent pests and diseases of rose bushes
Within the basic care required to be able to enjoy a magnificent rose bush, the periodic review to detect possible diseases and pests is important but, in addition, there are a series of simple measures that can help prevent their appearance, for example:
- When planting your rose bushes, choose a suitable environment, keeping with a minimum separation between plants that allows a good air circulation. Also check that the enough amount of sun, necessary to stop the proliferation of fungi.
- Prune and fertilize your rose bushes when appropriate to keep them strong and healthy because pests affect plants that are weakened more.
- Keep the land where the rosebush is planted clean of weeds and without excess dead leaves.
- Water just enough, avoiding waterlogging and excess humidity.
To finish, we recommend you read this other article about How to care for a rose bush in a pot.
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