Aside from orchids, rose gardening may be one of the most satisfying pursuits in plant growing. Just like orchids, roses can be delicate during winter and is laid open to disease when growing season comes around.
Roses are also prone to fungal infection that can occur and spread especially during summer and the rainy season.
If you notice your plant having white powder coating the leaves and stem, your rose probably has a fungi infection known as powdery mildew. If you do not treat this, the leaves will wither and die. As opposed to white powder, orange powder or rust can also grow on the underside of leaves and spread to other parts of your rose plants. Black spots may also appear on the leaves of a rose. They usually are about half an inch in diameter and can destroy the rose's foliage
Unlike all the fungal infections mentioned above, rose mosaic is a viral infection. Rose mosaics appear as mosaic patterns in yellow and green. The only way to treat the virus is to isolate the plant from your garden.
Normally, cutting away the affected parts of a rose plant will cure the fungal infections. If the infection is too strong to eradicate by cutting, you can buy a fungus treatment solution from your local nursery.
What precautions can one take to avoid fungal and viral infections?
Water the rose at the base and not the plant itself. Remove dead leaves and clippings from the flower beds to keep it clean. Cut away diseased blooms and canes. Dispose off these cuttings in the trash can. Prune the center of the bushes so that air can circulate within the bush. If you prune, clip or accidentally cut any part of the rose, use Elmer's glue to seal the open wounds. Use fertilizer on a regular basis. Roses regularly cultivated with fertilizers have more energy to fight off infections.
If you live in a hot, humid area, try to select a species of rose that is highly resistant to disease. You're not buying a disease free plant, but you're getting one that will off diseased as best as it can.
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