Roses
The leaves on my rose bush are curling inward to the point of closing. But only on the new growth. Do you know what causes this & can I fix the problem? Thank you.
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
It sounds like you may have been visited by the Sawfly. Upon laying her tiny eggs she injects a chemical into the leaf causing it to curl around and protect her eggs. Soon to be followed by caterpillars that will devour the leaves. They leave behind skeletonized foliage. Due to them curling the leaves they are very hard to get at and treat. You only have about a week to do some form of treatment before the eggs hatch and more damage begins. They typically attack the new and most luscious growth. I recommend using some Bayer Tree and Shrub granules and give all of the rosebushes effected some of this product. Or a similar systemic insecticidal product where you are located as soon as possible. Being systemic it will move through the rosebushes with its natural juices and kill the caterpillars before they can do much harm. Sprays have a hard time reaching the problem due to the curled leaves but can help get rid of the adults that are causing the problem to begin with. Here is a link to some information on the product I mentioned: https://www.bayeradvanced.com/find-a-product/tree-shrub-care/12-month-tree-shrub-protect-feed
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