WW-06953     Reviewed 2008  

Kevin Stroom, Jody Fetzer, and Vera Krischik

Roses are very popular landscape plants grown for their beauty. Roses are susceptible to several insects and diseases which reduce flower growth and quality as well as frustrate rose gardeners. In general, these insects do not kill the plant, but may stunt or kill parts, affect flowering, or cause aesthetic damage. Learning the proper care of roses and management of pest problems increases your success in growing a beautiful rose bush.

Photo 1: Healthy rose blossoms.

Plant Health Care (PHC) is a strategy for keeping plants stress free by considering factors related to growing and maintaining the plant. An important result of PHC is that roses in healthy condition are less impacted by insects than plants under stress. Start by selecting a suitable cultivar and site. Remember some rose cultivars and species are more resistant to disease. For suggestions on disease-resistant shrub roses, refer to the University of Minnesota Extension publication Selecting Hardy Roses for Northern Climates, and Roses for the North.

Next, select a proper site. Make sure that soil and light requirements are met and that the roses are planted at the correct depth. After planting, appropriate long-term maintenance is important. Follow the instructions found on the tag for water and fertility requirements, and provide a mulch around the base of the plants. See Extension publication Culture of Garden Roses, for more information on cultivation.

Management of insects and diseases is called Integrated Pest Management (IPM). IPM is a decision-making process which includes scouting, damage-threshold decisions, control options, and timing of insecticide application. IPM practices reduce non-target effects on beneficial insects and permit control decisions based on pest species and the most vulnerable stage in its life history.

IPM for insect pets of roses	Defoliators/leaf feeders	Piercing/sucking feeders
Bud/shoot feeders	Gall makers	Stem borers
	References

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Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Robert Wawrzynski and Bob Mugaas for reviewing the manuscript and providing helpful comments. Thanks to John Davidson, University of Maryland, for permission to use his slides. Also, thanks to Dave Hansen and Bob Mugaas, University of Minnesota Extension Service; Kathy Zuzek, University of Minnesota, for the use of slides.

Produced by Communication and Educational Technology Services, University of Minnesota Extension.

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