Plant Doctor Archive

Browning rose buds

I have two climbing roses, 'Reine des violettes' and 'Awakening' on either side of an archway. They are in quite a hot spot, receive a bit of an easterly wind, but are mulched and watered regularly. Both roses are very poor growers with few or no flowers. The buds form, but then brown off and die. Could you have a solution for this?

Your roses could be suffering from a lack of nutrition, irregular watering and maybe even insect damage. Were they fed with slow-release fertiliser when planted? If not, give them a boost with Watkins Nitrophoska Perfect or Yates Bio Gold Pellets. Don't give them too much now, as they will soon start to go dormant for the winter. Also, give them a winter spray with Yates Super Copper and Conqueror Oil. Check for insects (such as mites, aphids, scale, thrips) and treat these now with Yates Mavrik, Shield or Super Shield. Come spring, use Yates Gro-Plus Professional Rose Food and mulch around the plants. Water regularly - every other day - because irregular watering will stress the plant and cause poor growth, which could be why the buds are browning off.

Reproduced with permission from the former Weekend Gardener magazine. The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the RNZIH.