Dropping branches on my bushes.. HELP

[vakidwell]

I have five rose bushes that I transplanted last year. They did beautifully last year, but I have a problem this year. I have had three branches fall off of three different bushes. THe branches fall of at the very base, at ground level. I have also notices that on the dead branches from last year, there are black winged insects burrowing in the ends, hollowing out the other branches. I don't know if this a related problem or not.

I have noticed that there are some other branches that seem like they are ready to fall off too. These branches are about 3 ft or so long, with blooms or buds on the ends.


Any ideas?? I don't want all my roses to fall!

[Kisal]

Hello, and welcome to the Helpful Gardener forums! I'm glad you found us!

I wonder if it might be possible for you to post some pictures of the damaged area of your roses? I think it would be a great help to us as we try to identify the problem. This link gives instructions on how to post pictures on our forums:

http://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/v ... php?t=3724

There are some insects that bore into rose stems, but I have a feeling you might be dealing with a disease to the crown of the plant, and the insects you're seeing are incidental to that, not the cause of it. I can't be certain, however, without seeing a picture or two.

There is an insect that bores into rose canes, but it's a beneficial wasp. I don't think it does that much damage to a rose bush. You can read a brief article about it at the link below:

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/PTLK/1463.html

[vakidwell]

Ok, here are some pics.. The other thing you should know is that I have seen many ants on the roses too. I know that ants often follow aphids, so I am trying to work that to. I just don't know if the ants could be part of the problem. They are BIG ants, maybe carpenter ants, red heads, black thorax, and redish butts.

Ok, the pics... The one with my fingers in it, the stem just fell today, and looks that dry already.

[Kisal]

The ants might be actually bringing the aphids to your roses. Some species of ants will 'farm' aphids, sort of like we do dairy cows. The ants eat the sweet honeydew that the aphids secrete. They actually stroke the aphids to get them to secrete the honeydew.

Aphids will also attract those rose cane borers to your plants. If you read that short article I provided the link to, you know that the wasps lay their eggs on aphid-infested rose plants. The eggs hatch and the larvae bore into the rose canes, where they are fed aphids by the adult wasp for a couple of weeks.

You can use a stream of water from your garden hose to wash the aphids off your plants. Or you can just wipe them off with your fingers.

I'll have to study the pictures a bit, before I can attempt an ID. One of our rose experts may come along soon and be able to ID the problem immediately.

[vakidwell]

with all my research, I also know now that I probably have thrips.. I am wondering how many problems one small set of roses can have. :)
However, I know that the aphids and thrips are not the big problem (I will still be taking care of them though)

THanks for looking into this for me. I look forward to your ideas!

[vakidwell]

ANyone know yet?? I want to save these roses, if they need saving.

[applestar]

Off hand, it sounds like rose stem girdler (a bug) or rose stem canker (a fungal infection). Sometimes, girdler damage lets in the fungal spores. The photos don't look like the wasp damage which in my experience occurs at the extreme cut end of pruned canes.