Rose Rosette Renders Roses Ruined

Q: By all accounts, my rose garden succumbed to a virus this summer called rose rosette. It is truly a horrific process to watch. Should I remove the bushes or wait to see how they fare in the coming year? Also, what is the cause of said virus? After several decades of cultivating roses, I have never experienced such a disease. Is there truly no chemical that can counteract this process? 

A: If it turns out your roses have rosette, you should remove the bushes immediately. The mites that spread the disease can be active in winter and could spread it to any healthy roses you have.

Unfortunately, the disease is universally fatal; removal is the only way to fight it. We are talking total removal of the plant: stems, roots and leaves. You cannot replant roses in the spot for two years.

The mites that spread the disease are microscopic, which means you should not use a leaf blower which could blow the mites to someone else’s yard. There are no chemicals that can kill the mites. If you want to do rose growers a favor, be on the lookout for other roses that have rose rosette and attempt to tell the owner what I’ve told you.