Hello,
I have two rose bushes in my backyard. Something is eating all the leaves – all the way down to the stem of the leaves. It doesn’t seem to be eating the rose petals though. Is there anything I can do naturally to help save my roses ?
Rose Leaves being eaten
Your roses could have a number of pests enjoying a feast on the leaves
Roses require constant vigilance for damage; check daily, especially the underside of the leaves.
Look at the underside of leaves for visible sawfly larvae, tiny red spider mites, or even slugs.
A natural remedy would be a powerful drenching of the whole bush with the garden hose. Remove the damaged leaves, and make sure there are no pests crawling on the branches and stems of the bushes to get to the leaves.
You may also use an insecticidal soap, readily available at most garden centres.
Please go to the Garden Guides on our Toronto Master Gardeners website for controlling pests without pesticides: https://www.torontomastergardeners.ca/gardeningguides/controlling-insects-without-pesticides-a-toronto-master-gardeners-guide/