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Q&A - Why do my rose buds have shriveled petals?

Question:
My rose has a problem. The foliage appears to be healthy. However, as the bud opens, the petals look shriveled. I looked for insects but didn't find any. What's up?

Answer:
The picture looks like something has been chewing on the bud. The most likely culprit is thrips. The insects suck sap. The feeding causes the bloom to partially open or prematurely close. Controlling thrips is tough. You can use insecticidal soap when they are young. You can use an insecticide containing bifenthrin or acephate or a systemic soil drench.

Related Resources:
Thrips (University of Tennessee)
Thrips (Virginia State University)
Thrips on Ornamental Plants
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  • Home
  • Watch
    • TV Schedule
    • Full Episodes Online
    • How-to and Informational
    • Questions and Answers
    • This Week in the Garden
    • Garden Notes
  • Garden Topic Collections
    • Apple Trees: How-to and Information
    • Peach Trees: How-to and Information
    • Tomatoes: How-to and Information
    • Square Foot Garden Blog
  • Resources
    • Soil Testing
    • Extension Publications
    • Gardening Resources
    • Blogs
    • Organic Gardening
    • Articles
    • Privacy
  • Guests
  • Contact Us
    • Ask a Gardening Gardening Question
  • Search