Question
I have a pretty white rose bush.  It is less than two years old.  The problem is that its dense flowers do not fully open and wilt with brittle petal joints.  Is
this a plant disease or nutritional deficiency?  What can I do?


Answer
From what you have described it sounds like you have rose midges. These little insects make a tiny hole at the base of a rose base and start eating. This damages the flower which will never open or look attractive. Most of the time the flower bud is so damaged it just wilts. If it is not midges it will certainly be some type of insects. You could take a piece of white paper, shake the rose on it,and then see what drops onto the paper. Any type of rose insecticide will solve the problem for you. Just follow the directions on the bottle for rose midges. Nutritional problems show up in the leaves such as different colours. Hope this helps