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#84537 Jul 8th, 2007 at 06:55 AM
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Jodi13 Offline OP
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My grandmother has a section of her flower garden devoted to miniature roses. They have been in this spot for about five years. The roses have been doing wonderful until this year. The leaves are all dropping off the plants. She hasn't done anything different from other years and is worried she will lose all her roses. Does anyone have any ideas as to what the cause may be and what we can do to save them? We live in Northeast Pa.

Jodi13 #86795 Jul 10th, 2007 at 11:41 AM
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Hi Jodi,

Unfortunately, there are lots of problems that can affect roses. But luckily, there is a vast range of potions and sprays (organic and otherwise) that you can use to help save them!
But first, you need to know what the problem is. You say that you've done nothing different to previous years, but have you noticed anything new now? They need lots of water (about a gallon a week) so if it hasnt rained much, maybe that's it. They also need a lot of feeding - has she given them any fertiliser or are they a bit hungry? You dont say if they look as though they have any disease (rust, blackspot and mildew are the most common types) or if they're being attacked by bugs (aphids, thrips, scale, mites), which can all do some pretty serious damage.
As a first step, have a much closer look at your grannie's plants and see if you can detect anything that maybe fits any of the above. That will help you decide on your strategy to get them healthy again!

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Thanks, Starfish. I'll take a closer look at my grandmother's roses. There are definitely no signs of rust, black spot or mildew - every leaf has fallen off! There was a tree planted in the middle of them that died and had tobe cut down - so now they get more sun. I'll take a closer look for bugs. Thanks again!

Jodi13 #91010 Jul 16th, 2007 at 04:58 AM
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Well, I wish you (and the plants) all the best, but from what you've just said, I think I'd be a little bit concerned- I would have bet on it being something like rust or blackspot, which can completely defoliate. Is there still life in the stems of the roses?

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I am not good with roses but I bet that tree being cut down they needed more water. The shade may have kept them shaded and now they need more water. The roses in the front of my mother's property is a cooker. No trees and blazing sun I have to water almost every day.


Do what you can where you are with what you have.

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cinta #93012 Jul 19th, 2007 at 07:26 AM
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I bought a small mini-rose at a grocery store, and it dropped all it's leaves. The stem stayed green, so I watered every time I remembered (not terribly often, but enough I guess) and it began sprouting new leaves in spring. As a really shot-in-the-dark guess, I think it lost the leaves from too little light, because I kept it indoors. It's still growing slowly (now outside in bright shade), and hasn't bloomed, but it's surviving. Each season, I'll try and find a slightly sunnier spot for it.

Perhaps, if the change in light over the roses was large, that's why they dropped their leaves?

Anyway, the moral is, if it's green, don't give up!


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