Roses

Roses may not be doing their best in the summer heat. The heat stress may cause flowers to be discolored, few, small, and misshapen. This is nothing to worry about. Just deadhead as your normally would until the cooler temperatures of fall bring your flowers back to normal. A few things you should worry about are diseases and pesticides. Aphids are a common pest for many plants, roses included. Often seen on the new growth and buds of plants, aphids come in a variety of colors from green to black. Treat with a horticultural oil or a systemic pesticide. Be cautious with applying horticultural oils. Spraying on hot days can cause the leaves to burn! If you notice small circles being cut out of your rose leaves, you may have just been hit by the Leaf-Cutter Bee. These insects use the tender leaves to build their nests, and their favored plants tend to be roses and bougainvillea. These bees are more of nuisance rather than a harmful pest to your plant so it is best to just leave them alone. Common diseases affecting roses are rust and powdery mildew. Rust can appear as a yellow spot to a red rusty mess on leaves. Powdery mildew can appear on all parts of the plant and looks like a light coating of dust of powder on the plant. Both rust and powdery mildew can be treated with fungicide, either systemic or a spray, however, the systemic will take longer to go into affect since it taken up through the plants roots and spread throughout the plant.