Software
Houzz Logo Print
katyajini

What is this? Rose midge too?

7 years ago

Here are some tips of shoots, not necessarily the very tip of a cane or large lateral, that seem injured and dead. What is this due to? Looks like insect damage. The tips tun red, wilt, die and then become crisp with a dark magenta color.

Thanks!

(I lost both my glasses in the yard. I cant see much and the photographs are probably not in focus. I am sorry!)

Comments (11)

  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    In marie Pavie







  • 7 years ago

    In Aloha







    I have seen in ZD and others too

  • 7 years ago

    I can't really tell from your pics... So bumping so maybe someone will answer...

    Are you getting blooms? Alot? Not as much as usual?

    katyajini thanked jim1961 Central Pennsylvania Zone 6a
  • 7 years ago

    Same here, Jim. Usually with midged tip it's the emerging tip and bud. On mine they never would get this long, but that's not to say it's NOT midge. Have you pulled back the leaves to see if the larvae are in there?

    katyajini thanked Vaporvac Z6-OhioRiverValley
  • 7 years ago



    What happened to the photo is to hard to explain. So I’ll just mention the plant itself.

    About two inches over from the left side is what looks like a tiny brown leaf. That newly growing leaf bud has been killed by a midge. Between every stem and a set of leaves there are growth buds. New stems develop from these buds. It is very tender new growth that midge likes to lay it’s eggs in. It can happen at the very end of a stem in a brand new developing flower bud. It can also be a developing growth bud. That is how midge keeps a rose from flowering.


    katyajini thanked Patty W. zone 5a Illinois
  • 7 years ago

    Sorry the pictures were not illustrative. I am going to try again.

    And as all of you noticed and from my reading, I dont think it is midge. But it is something.


    Patty thank you for that explanation. I did not know it that well. I had not remembered the word borer! I dont know if what I am seeing is truly borer damage but it kinda does look like it. The tip of a nascent shoot wilting and then dying. I too had thought the wilting, dying, crisping was from the acute heat. But now after two days of heavy rain it is continuing to happen. And interestingly I have not seen this at the very tip of any cane or long lateral. Only on small tender side shoots.

  • 7 years ago




    Healthy red leaves at the tip. The small shoot just below it is dead.The second shoot down has the tip leaf kinda wilting and a dark maroon color. Pict taken on the 12th.


  • 7 years ago



    Picture of the same shoot taken the next day, the 13th. The tip leaf of the second shoot is wilty-er and drier

  • 7 years ago



    Pict of the same shoot taken on the 14th, one day later. Look how much drier and dead-er the tip of the second shoot is.. I dont think it is heat damage. The phenomenon is not global, The tender shoots all over the plant dont have it.

    Am I looking at something trivial and worrying?

  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Honestly I just spent the last hour of daylight removing cane borers from my rose canes. They are easier for me to get them at this time because they are at the end of tender shoots.

    Just last year I learned what was the cause of my wilted leaves or a couple of drooping buds. There ware little baby bores in the cane. After a season of munching on cane pith they are lot larger. If you need more I formation I can try to answer tomorrow.

    Anyway depending on where you live it’s a good bet that wilting is from cane borers. I know it can be overwhelming sometime. Roses can be daunting at times but they are worth the extra trouble.

    katyajini thanked Patty W. zone 5a Illinois