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Chemical or Fertilizer Burn

This looks very similar to sunburn on leaves so please be aware of the weather conditions your roses has been experencing.

Chemical burn is caused either when chemicals are too concentrate when spraying, fertilizer is added at planting time or spraying was done during the heat of the day.  
Sprays must be used during cool weather as drops of water held on the leaves act like a magnifying glass and burn the plant.

Common Symptoms

  • Brown crispy patches develop on the leaf, usually on top or at the edges.
  • Black streaks may be evident on the veins of the leaves with burn marks at the junction of leaf to stem.
  • Flower heads may wilt because no is sap getting to them.  
  • Note that the new growth is healthy.

Treatment

  • Identify what is the cause of the burn.  
  • If chemicals were too concentrate when spraying then a quick check each spay will soon correct the problem.
  • If sunburn then cut off the worst affected and look at your watering technique.
  • If from too much fertilizer then you will have to wait till it wears out of the ground.  Do a pH test of the soil and if it is too acidic then get some avice from a local nursery on how to change the pH in your soil.
  • Cut off the affected parts where necessary.
 
For any Spraying do not spray in the heat of the day - early morning is the best but early evening is good too, as long as you give the plant enough time to dry before sunset.



Important: signs and symptoms will vary significantly between varieties, even within similar categories. The information provided here is a basic summery of the most common affects and will not always be applicable to all rose varieties.