Why are the leaves on my rose bush turning yellow?

Question

it is a healthy rose bush that was here when we bought our house in 2000. it blooms great in the spring with large red blooms. i water and fertilize it regularly as with the other 4 that i have but it is the only one that is getting yellow leaves on it.it doesn't get as much sun as the others, is this a factor? it gets about 6 hours of direct sun a day where as the rest get about 9-10. the other 4 are doing great and growing rabidly(they are 1-4 years old). is age a factor?

Answer 1

The most common recommedation for roses is at least 5 to 6 hours of sun, so your rose should be getting enough sun.

Some of the older leaves on your bush can naturally turn yellow & fall off...especially those on the bottom.

Other factors can cause yellowing of leaves & leaf drop, such as underwatering or over watering. A mature, average-sized rose bush can lose up to 5 gallons a day when it gets really hot or exceptionally dry!

http://www.rose-roses.com/problems/droug...

Water deeply at the base of the plant, not on their leaves, two times per week.  Make sure the water is draining well so the roots of the plant don't root.

http://www.blurtit.com/q296766.html

Make sure your rose bush isn't either starving or overfertilized.

Roses will thrive better if you use NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium) ratios of about 1:2:1... more Phosphorous than nitrogen or potassium. Check the pH of the soil - around 6.5. --is best to insure the ability of your roses to use certain minerals and nutrients in an efficient manner.

"Most roses will benefit from regular application of fertilizers in small amounts. Sometimes you can even feed with liquid fertilizers as often as every two weeks. The more your roses put out new growth and bloom, the more fertilizers they will need.... If it is in desperate need of nutrients, it will actually lose its leaves and a few canes will die...(but remember)... Don't overfeed! This can kill or damage your roses. If you are applying chemical fertilizers ALWAYS follow the dilution amounts on the label"

Stop applying fertilizer  six weeks before the killing frost.

http://www.rose-roses.com/culture/fertil...

Since you are already carefully watering & feeding your rose bush, you could check to see if it's overgrown & needs some pruning & trimming. Too many canes can be a drain on the rose bush. Check to see if your rose bush isn't crowded & see if it has plenty of air circulating around it, so leaves can dry after it rains preventing fungal diseases.  

Also, check to make sure moles haven't made large holes around the bushes roots, because that'll exposed them to the elements & can cause leaves to turn yellow, then brown & fall off. You can rescued it by filling the holes in with pebbles & soil :)

Any stress on a rose bush can cause it's leaves to turn yellow & eventually fall off, so a bit of detective work can help you find out if anything is wrong with your rose bush or if the leaves are yellowing due to the natural  tendency of plants to get rid of older leaves to allow the younger leaves to get the most out of the nutrients available to the plant.

Good luck!!!   Hope this is helpful.

Answer 2

http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/rose...