How to assess health of rose plant?

Question

Hello Team,

Hope you are all doing well.

Please refer to the pics of my rose plants and I need your advice on the 3 issues listed below.

* The below is the mini rose plant, was flowering nicely, but past one-two weeks the buds are coming but either not blooming or flowers become dirty/soggy.

2. Why the leaves have lots of white spots, it was not like this before. Is it due to change in season or rained continuously (I am in Brisbane)?

3. Why the colours of the leaves are different in the same plant?

Thanks

Balaji.

balaji27 · Answer

Hi @MitchellMc Thanks a lot for your guidance, apologies for the late reply.

Yes, it was raining continuously last week and could be the reason for this condition. As advised by you, I will monitor for a couple of weeks and check how it goes from there.

Thanks - Balaji.

MitchellMc · Answer

Hi @balaji27,

From what you’ve described and considering it’s been quite wet in Brisbane recently, a lot of these issues can often come down to too much moisture around the plant.

Mini roses are quite sensitive to excess moisture. When buds or flowers stay constantly wet, they can turn mushy, brown, or fail to open properly. This commonly happens when:

* There has been a lot of rain
* The plant is being watered too frequently
* Water is landing on the flowers

Try to avoid watering the plant from above. Instead, water at the base of the plant only, keeping the leaves and flowers as dry as possible.

The white spotting can also be related to excess moisture, which encourages fungal issues on roses. Wet leaves and humid conditions make this much more likely. It would be worth backing off the watering and applying a copper-based fungicide to help control any fungal problems.

Different leaf colours can happen when the plant is under stress, often from:

* Too much water
* Lack of airflow
* Sudden weather changes

If the roots stay constantly wet, the plant struggles to take up nutrients properly, which can cause yellowing or uneven leaf colour.

Try this method going forward:

* Only water when the soil begins to dry out about 10 cm down.
* Roses benefit from a wet–dry cycle rather than constantly damp soil.
* If it has rained within the last couple of days, don’t water.
* Check the soil first before watering.

Once you monitor it for a week or two, you’ll get a good idea of how long it takes for the soil to start drying, which will help you set the right watering schedule.

With a bit less water and keeping the foliage dry, the plant should start producing healthier buds and cleaner leaves again.

Here's a helpful guide: How to grow and care for roses.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell