Last updated on March 31st, 2022
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It can be nothing short of frustrating to see the leaves on your rose bush turning yellow. The yellow tinge impacts the entire look of your bush. There are several reasons why the leaves on your rose bush might be turning yellow and falling off, and being able to narrow down the cause will make it easier to rectify and help the rose bush recover to its former glory.
Lack of light can cause the lower leaves to turn yellow and drop off
There are times when the top leaves on your rose bush prevent the lower leaves from getting adequate sunlight. When this happens, the bottom leaves turn yellow and drop off. You will notice a distinct difference in colour between the top levels of leaves and those at the bottom if this is the culprit.
If some areas of foliage are not getting the adequate amount of sunlight for optimal growth, you can prune as necessary, rest assured this won’t harm the overall health of your rose bush. This is why the method for pruning your rose bushes is vital, to remove any crossing branches and open up the centre to allow better airflow and for the light to reach into the centre of the rose bush.
Heat stress from radiant heat from the ground
If you have yellow leaves on your rose bush, it can be the result of too much radiant heat. If the area above the bush or the ground below the bush retains too much heat, that heat will radiate up into the lower part of your rose bush. If you notice the lower leaves turning yellow and falling off more than the top leaves, this could be an indication your rose bush is in distress.
If you have too much mulch on the ground, it could be retaining too much heat and reflecting it back into your rose bush. Dark coloured mulch, in particular, does this with rose bushes, so if you have dark mulch you might consider swapping it out for lighter coloured mulch.
Heat stress is another common cause of yellowing and falling leaves. Rose bushes naturally turn yellow and drop their foliage to try and cool down. In the UK, this is not usually the case, but it’s still worth considering.
Waterlogged soil
Problems encountered when watering can cause the leaves to turn yellow and fall off. If your rose bush is sitting in standing water, or there is too much water at the base of the bush, when the sun is up, the rays get reflected off that standing water and burn the lower leaves.
You can avoid this by making sure you water your roses well without soaking them and without leaving lots of water around the base. Make sure the soil is fertile and well-drained so that the rose is not stood in soggy soil because this can also damage the roots, which in turn, again, causes the leaves to turn yellow and drop off.
Too much fertiliser that isn’t mixed into the soil well enough
If you feed your rose bush too much and it gets burned, the leaves will turn yellow in certain places and fall off. Unfortunately, nutrient deficiencies can also be the culprit and end up displaying the same symptoms. If your rose bush doesn’t have enough iron, magnesium, or nitrogen, it can cause the leaves to turn yellow.
The good news is, if this is the culprit and you treat it, the leaves should regain their green colour, as long as they haven’t reached the stage where they are falling off. Misdiagnosing the problem and you treating the wrong deficiency, will lengthen the amount of time your rose bush is stressed.
As a general guide always follow the instructions on rose feed packaging and if you are using bonemeal or fish, blood and bone. Mix only a smaller amount of fertiliser into the soil and make sure it’s mixed in well.
- EMPATHY AFTER ROSE 1KG
Pests and diseases can cause yellow leaves, often with black spots
Pests and diseases also manifest in the form of yellowing leaves. It’s important that you look for other signs of damage on the rose bush if you suspect pest or disease problems because yellowing of the leaves is usually just one of many signs. If you have what looks like a disease, we recommend spraying with a systemic insecticide and fungicide which has a 3-in-1 action, such as Rose Clear Ultra.
- Systemic insecticide and fungicide with 3-in-1 action
- Kills systemically and on contact
- Kills aphids
- Controls blackspot, powdery mildew and rust
- Protects for up to 21 days to prevent further attacks
Finding the Right Treatment
It’s essential you treat your plant based on the issue that is causing the leaves to turn yellow. Unfortunately, this might be a bit of trial-and-error, although you might be able to discern quite quickly whether the issue is related to water, especially if you notice a lot of standing water around the base of your rose bush.
Similarly, you might be able to determine that the problem is a pest because you see pests on the leaves or you find other signs of pests. If you suspect it’s something like a nutrient deficiency, you can always test the soil to see what nutrient might be lacking before you try it and rectify the soil.
There are, however, some preventative measures you can use. Firstly make sure the soil is fertile and free-draining before you do any planting, and if you are growing your roses in pots make sure there are holes in the bottom. When you water, always do it early in the morning or in the evening. Rinse off all of the foliage with clean water after a hot day because this will go a long way toward washing off any contaminants that might burn the leaves or any potential pest problem. Set up a regular feeding schedule and stick with it so that you always give your rose bushes precisely what they need to prevent nutrient deficiencies.
Last update on 2024-05-07 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
