My Rose Bush Is Slow Obtaining New Growth

Cultural Reasons

• Roses prefer sunny locations and well-drained, fertile soil. The plants do not adapt well to excessive alkalinity in the soil. Rose plants growing in less than optimal conditions start to display slow and reduced growth.

Pathogenic Reasons

• A number of viral infections lead to poor plant growth. These include rose leaf curl, also referred to as rose wilt or dieback, and rose spring dwarf. Viral infections lead to dwarfed and poor growth on plants. Infected plants lose vigor and display reduced and slow shoot development.

Management

• For best growth, plant your roses in areas that receive six or more hours of sun every day, as recommended by the New Mexico State University Extension. Avoid planting under trees and select a fertile, loam soil. The best way to avoid viral infection is to obtain healthy plants from reliable sources. Remove and destroy infected plants.