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Why are some of my rose bushes dying?

Morning all. I have 8 rose bushes in my front garden which were planted 9 yrs ago. In the last couple of months 2 of them have died. They are next to each other so wondering if it’s something to do with soil as others are still ok? I have purchased two more from Bunnings but want to make sure they don’t suffer the same fate! Do I need to find out what killed the old ones first to make sure I buy the right product to correct the soil or is a good rose food enough? If so what would you recommend?Thanks very much ( Photo of healthy one)

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Comments

Akanksha

Hello @Narla,

Sorry to hear about your rose bushes. Let me tag our garden experts @Noelle and @mich1972 to see if they have any thoughts. Our resident D.I.Y. expert @EricL should also be able to assist when he's back online later today.

While waiting, I'd recommend checking out Noelle's guide How to diagnose a sick plant and also How to grow and care for your roses by the Bunnings team. These guides contain handy advice that you might find useful.

Akanksha

mich1972

Good morning @Narla Sorry to hear about your roses. May I ask you when you get time, can you please share a few photos of the roses that are dying as this will help to identify the problem. Look forward to speaking again soon. 😃🪴

EricL

Hello @Narla

In the time that you've owned the roses can you please tell us how often did you water and fertilize it? Has anyone in the neighbourhood been spraying weedkiller? Any other information you can share with us about your roses will help us form an idea of what could be causing your roses to die.

Eric

Narla

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/31333#Comment_31333

Thanks @mich1972. Here are some pics of dead and alive!:)

Narla

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/31349#Comment_31349

Hi @EricL they each have dripper and watered regularly. We redo mulch and add some rose food occasionally and prune yearly. I recently added this next to them. May be related?

mich1972

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/78146#Comment_78146

Hi @Narla thank you for adding a couple more pictures. Looks like a possible die back ( rose canker ) but I want to get a second opinion on it from @Noelle first.

wooshka

Hi @Narla do you have any pics of the roots as well?

After 9 years is a bit odd.

Like @Erica said any neighbours using weed killer? its happened to us , neighbours wife died and he hated gardening and poisoned everything.

may need to dig further down and see what deeper in the soil to.

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/78146#Comment_78146

Hi @Narla,

Regarding finding out the issue, here's a helpful guide: How to diagnose a sick plant. Also, for your new roses, you might like to check out this step-by-step guide: How to plant a tree, shrub or a rose. There's also an informative article on How to grow, prune and propagate roses that you might like to take a look at.

Mitchell

Narla

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/31390#Comment_31390

Definitely possible that spraying in area has happened but wondering why it’s only killed two of them? Here are the roots from one. Tks:)

MitchellMc

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/78147#Comment_78147

Hi @Narla,

The lack of fine feeder roots is a bit suspicious and could be associated with the issue you've experienced.

Roses require loose, well-draining soil to foster the development of robust and healthy root systems. Given their substantial nutrient requirements, it's advisable to incorporate aged compost into the soil before planting your roses. You can safeguard the roots by applying a generous layer of compost around each plant. This serves the purpose of insulating the roots against extreme temperatures and minimises weed growth.

Have you increased your watering regime since adding the other plants to the garden bed? I suspect that the soil could be holding too much water, and the feeders have died off due to this.

I'd been keen to hear @Noelle's thoughts now that we can see the lack of fine feeder roots on the plant.

Mitchell

Noelle

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/103201#Comment_103201

Hi @Narla

I would agree with @mich1972 's diagnosis. I doubt it is the result of any weedkiller being used by neighbours (that would not affect the roots in that manner).

@MitchellMc 's advice re the soil, feeding and watering is on the money. Even though only couple of plants have been affected, the soil quality can vary considerably across a garden bed. A mulch of well composted organic material over the roots (keep it clear of the trunks of the roses), an application of slow release rose food and regular deep watering over the coming weeks should give them all a good chance of survival.

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