Blackened and browned rose stems, covered with mold, white coating or reddish spots, are a typical sign that the plants have rotted.
In this case, the stems become limp, the bushes begin to smell of rot, wet and slippery areas are visible on the shoots, and the bark peels off.
An expert of the online publication BelNovosti, agronomist, landscape designer Anastasia Kovrizhnykh explained what needs to be done to save the flowers.
1. Don't rush to abruptly pull off the covering from the roses - this will only cause them additional stress. Instead, continue to air the bushes.
2. If the rose has been badly damaged – fallen over, or its roots have rotted, the bush will need to be uprooted.
3. If the roots are still firmly seated in the soil, remove the plant debris from the base of the bush that you used to hill up the plant for the winter.
4. Carefully dig up the rose and cut the shoots down to the living tissue above the grafting site.
You should only use pre-disinfected pruning shears.
5. To stop the rotting process, treat the cuts. This can be done by dusting them with ash or applying a healing paste.
6. On partially damaged shoots, the affected areas are cleaned with a knife and then treated - first with a pink solution of potassium permanganate, and then with a wound-healing paste.
7. After pruning, treat the roses with a growth stimulator.
Watering a rotted rose growing in dry soil should be abundant - one bush will need a whole bucket of water. Other mandatory procedures include treatment against diseases and fertilizing.
Expert: Anastasia Kovrizhnykh
