Question
The bark at the base of my tree rose, Honey Bouquet, has cracked and pulled away from the trunk. Is this a problem? My water basin may have allowed the trunk to get too wet, so I have corrected that now. I also have a bad white fly infestation which I will spray for immediately. Is there a connection between these two problem?

Answer
Bark splitting is very common in many plants and so there are many reason why it happens. If it is only the outside dark brown bark that is split, then it is okay. If the split is deeper and goes past the darker outside into the greenish inside then it should be repaired. To repair it temporary until the rose itself heals the split, simply cover it up with electricians tape. Duct tape has a resin on it and I would prefer electricians tape because of the residue. Bark splitting is sometimes caused by a cold winter and then a warm spring. The bark defrost too quickly. Another reason is that the bark is in the full sunshine and the other side is in part shade. Whatever has caused it could be unknown but it will heal itself, the tape just keeps the dirt and insects out of it while it is healing. White flies are annoying but they only suck the juices out of the leaves so that wouldn't have a bearing on the split. Th high water table might have.