Question
I have an established rose bush more than 3 years old. It is late April in the Chicagoland area and the new leaves, which until a day or two ago looked healthy, are turning yellow/white on the tips. Other roses close by look fine so far. Could the soil need some nutrients? I would like the solution to be environmentally friendly-nonchemical if possible.

Answer
Your rose has a mildew problem which causes the new growth to curl and look distorted. Try spraying it daily with 1 tablespoon of baking soda to 2 quarts of water. Keep spraying until the leaves look green and are growing well. Roses often get mildew in the spring because the weather isn't nice and warm yet and the mildew likes dampness. If the simple spray doesn't totally cure it, then get some Orthos Rosepride Funginex spray and that will definitely solve the problem for you.