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One of the problems when growing roses is quite frequent pest attacks. At the same time, the appearance of the bushes, decorativeness and abundance of flowering suffer greatly. One common sign is rose leaves with holes. There are quite a lot of pests that feed on the sap and tissues of the plant. It is extremely important to correctly identify them - the effectiveness of the means used directly depends on this. However, it is better to take care of prevention in advance, minimizing the risk of “invasion” of pests that leave holes in the leaves on roses.
Why are rose leaves in holes?
Holes on rose leaves are a fairly common problem that many gardeners face. In most cases, the cause is an attack on the bushes by insects and other pests that feed on plant juices and the tissues themselves.
Most often, the symptoms are not limited to the presence of holes on the leaves of roses, so you need to be able to identify the pest by its “appearance”
Aphid
Green roseate aphids are small, bug-like insects that are dangerous due to their voraciousness and numbers.On a rose with holes in the leaves, it is easy to detect entire colonies of pale green aphids. First, when they “settle” on a plant, they prefer the most delicate tissues (buds, shoot tips, young leaves). Then, if nothing is done, they spread throughout the entire bush.
Multiple small round holes on the leaves of roses are formed due to the fact that aphids “pierce” a hole in them, feeding on the sap. Gradually, the affected tissues turn pale, discolored and die.
The number of holes on rose leaves increases very quickly. Female aphids, in the presence of a “food source,” lay eggs throughout almost the entire active growing season.
Larvae hatching from eggs transform into adults capable of reproduction in 10-12 days
If the gardener does not pay attention to aphids, the appearance of the rose bush continues to deteriorate. Leaves with holes in them curl, dry out and fall off. The stems become thinner and bend, and the buds become severely deformed.
In most cases, aphids are not the direct cause of death of roses, leaving holes in the leaves. However, its attack greatly undermines the plant’s immunity, cold resistance and overall endurance. In addition, in addition to holes, the waste products of aphids remain on the leaves of roses: a sticky transparent coating is a very favorable environment for the development of pathogenic microflora.
Spider mite
Spider mites are practically invisible to the naked eye. Moreover, it is not seen not only by people, but also by other insects and birds, for which it could potentially become food.The size of the pest is within 0.5-1 mm. The body appears to be translucent, orange-red in males and brown-greenish-yellow in females. In addition, spider mites do not tolerate high air humidity and direct sunlight. Therefore, the first holes appear on the underside of rose leaves, where they are more difficult to detect. A symptom by which one can confidently judge that a spider mite has “invaded” a bush is thin, almost transparent “cobwebs”.
Like aphids, spider mites initially prefer parts of the plant with the most delicate tissues. Leaves, peduncles and buds entwined with a “web” become covered with a “mesh” of small holes, curl up into a tube, dry out and die. Spider mites reproduce throughout the summer, only in extreme heat do they enter a kind of “anabiosis.”
If the gardener does nothing to combat spider mites, the rose with holes in the leaves will completely end up in a kind of “cocoon.”
Shchitovka
As a rule, holes left by scale insects appear on rose bushes if the gardener neglects to care for them. This pest from the category of scale insects “sticks” to the underside of leaves and shoots. Initially, the scale insect is an almost flat, rounded “growth” of a brown-gray-greenish color, but gradually it turns into a kind of hemisphere, sucking out the sap of the plant and “swelling up”.
When the tissue around the scale insect changes color to a dull yellow-red, the pest moves to a new location. In the area left by them they die, a hole is formed.
Scale insects, like aphids, are “accompanied” by an almost transparent sticky coating on the leaves and stems of roses. Often its surface is covered with a layer of black-gray “powder” - a sooty fungus that interferes with the plant’s normal “breathing” and photosynthesis. And the holes left on the leaves after the scale insect are the “gates” for any infection to penetrate into the tissue.
The shade of the tissues around the body of the scale insect changes due to the poisoning of the plant by waste from the pest.
leaf roller
The adult leaf roller is a small, grayish-brown “butterfly” that closely resembles a moth. Females lay eggs on rose bushes and other plants. The larvae that hatch from them (yellowish-brown caterpillars) are extremely voracious. They eat leaves, on which large, irregularly shaped holes form, down to a “skeleton” of veins.
The pest got its name because the caterpillars are going to “pupate” after 30-40 days. To do this, they build a “nest” by twisting rose leaves into a kind of cocoon and entwining it with a “web”.
If nothing is done, the bush loses a significant part of its green mass. As a result, the presence of numerous holes on the leaves of roses makes it impossible for the process of photosynthesis and metabolism to proceed normally, and the plant dies.
Not only leaves, but also growth buds, buds, and blooming flowers suffer from leaf roller larvae.
Rose leafhopper
With its long body and yellowish-white (or pale green) wings, its “silhouette” is somewhat reminiscent of a grasshopper. Adults feed on rose leaves, eating holes in them, while larvae feed on plant sap. As a result, the affected leaf blades wither, lose their tone, turn yellow and die.
If there are rosehip bushes on the site, it is better to get rid of them: the roseate leafhopper often uses them as an “intermediate base”
What to do if holes appear on rose leaves
The range of products that help get rid of pests that leave holes on rose leaves is quite wide. A suitable drug or folk recipe is chosen taking into account the number of insects, the degree of neglect of the problem and one’s own principles of gardening.
Agrochemicals are drugs for the most severe cases. When pests have multiplied in numbers, it is useless to try to get rid of them using folk remedies. But the latter provide fairly effective prevention, repelling pests from roses that leave holes on the leaves and preventing them from settling on the bushes.
Chemicals
Any insecticide or other drug against pests that eat holes in rose leaves is used in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. This is especially true for the concentration and process of preparing the working solution, the frequency of spraying, as well as safety measures during processing. It is necessary to minimize the risk of liquid getting on the skin and mucous membranes by wearing thick clothing, closed shoes, waterproof rubber gloves, goggles and a respirator.
The range of agrochemicals for pest control includes both “specialized” preparations and broad-spectrum products, produced in different forms and volumes. It should be remembered that insecticides only help get rid of insects that eat holes on the leaves of roses. Spider mites are not one of them; acaricides or insectoacaricides will be needed here.
Among the insecticides that are popular among gardeners are:
- Aktara;
- Bazudin;
- Fitoverm;
- Calypso;
- Commander;
- Tanrek;
- Iskra-Bio.
Commonly used acaricides:
- Apollo;
- Neoron;
- Omite;
- Sunmite;
- Vertimek.
Since roses do not bear fruit, they do not have a “waiting period” during which the crop is guaranteed to be safe for human health after treatment. However, they cannot be sprayed against pests that leave holes in the leaves at any time of the season. Many drugs are toxic to bees, other pollinating insects, and birds.
Biological products, compared to agrochemicals, are much less harmful to the environment, but begin to act more slowly
Folk remedies
During the season, folk remedies can also be used for preventive treatments, scaring away pests from roses that leave holes on the leaves. The following recipes are popular:
- Tincture of onion or garlic. Both heads (along with the husks) and “arrows” are suitable. Approximately 200 g of “raw material” is crushed, 1 liter of warm water is poured in, and the container is tightly closed. The liquid is infused in a dark, warm place for 5-7 days, vigorously shaking 2-3 times a day. The finished infusion is filtered and diluted again with water in a ratio of 100 ml per 5 liters. It is used to spray the soil in the flowerbed and the roses themselves.If you notice that there are still a few pests on the bush that leave holes on the leaves, you can selectively wipe them with onion or garlic infusion of the same concentration, moistening a cotton pad in it.
- Infusion of ground hot pepper. To enhance the effect, you can add tobacco and mustard powder. Ingredients taken in arbitrary proportions (about 500 g in total) are poured into 3 liters of warm water and left for 3-4 days. The finished liquid is filtered. The solution can be sprayed on roses both to prevent attacks by pests that eat holes in the leaves, and if they are present on the bushes, if there are still few insects.
- Herbal decoction. Any fresh greens with a pronounced odor are suitable as raw materials, for example, tops of tomatoes, potatoes, wormwood, tansy, marigolds, calendula, yarrow. It is crushed and compacted tightly into a container, filling it about a third. Then add water and bring to a boil over low heat. The liquid is infused for 10-12 hours (preferably 24 hours) under a closed lid, filtered. The decoction effectively repels pests from roses, the appearance of which is indicated by holes in the leaves.
The effectiveness of most folk remedies is ensured by a pungent odor that is unpleasant to insects
Pest prevention
To prevent rose leaves from being eaten and in holes, it is better to minimize the risk of pests settling on the bushes in advance. Preventive measures also help scare them away from plants.
A gardener who does not want to see holes in the leaves of roses will need the following:
- Regular weeding of the flower bed.For many pests that leave holes on rose leaves, weeds are suitable as “intermediate” hosts.
- Loosening the flower bed as needed during the season and always in the fall in preparation for winter. This simple measure helps to get rid of the eggs and larvae of pests that eat holes in the leaves of roses at various stages of development, including those that are going to overwinter shallowly in the ground.
- Cleaning the tree trunk circle from plant debris. The goal is the same - to deprive pests of potential shelter for the winter.
- Planting spicy greenery or ornamental plants with a pronounced aroma (marigold, calendula, wormwood, lavender, sage) next to roses. Many insects that feed on the sap or greens of plants and leave holes on the leaves of roses cannot tolerate strong odors; the presence of such protection prevents them from settling on the bushes.
- Proper plant care. Timely watering, fertilizing, pruning, and other agrotechnical measures ensure the normal development of the bush. Accordingly, they have a beneficial effect on his immunity and overall stamina. Roses are more successful in resisting attacks from pests that can leave holes in the leaves.
- Selecting a planting site according to the “requirements” of a given variety or hybrid. The further the conditions are from optimal, the worse the plant feels and the more weakened it becomes. Accordingly, it will quickly become a “prey” for pests and pathogens.
- Timely inspections of bushes once a week and a half. If pests have recently settled on roses and there are still few holes on the leaves, getting rid of them is much easier than in advanced cases.
- Preventive spraying of bushes and soil in the flowerbed with broad-spectrum insecticides and insectoacaricides that protect plants from many pests, including those that leave holes on the leaves. At least two treatments are desirable - before and at the end of the active growing season. They are repeated during the season if the pests, whose attack leaves holes on the leaves of roses, are noticed on other plants.
High-quality care not only allows roses to be decorative, but also has a positive effect on the plant’s “stress resistance”
Conclusion
Most often, rose leaves with holes indicate an attack by pests. This is a fairly typical problem for the crop; accordingly, the gardener needs to be able to identify them. The appearance of insects is complemented by other characteristic symptoms, so, as a rule, there are no problems with “identification”.
