Rose rosette is still a problem around town. This is a virus that mostly affects knock-out roses, caused by a spider mite. Some signs of this virus include deep red leaves, excessive thorniness (the most reliable way to tell it’s rosette), rose buds that never bloom, and new stems that are much larger than the parent stem.
Unfortunately, once a rose plant is infected, there’s no current way to treat it. The plant has to be dug up, and any new roses planted there will get the virus.
If you need help confirming if you have infected roses, or need help digging up the plants, please feel free to reach out.
