Rose powdery mildew
Protect your garden roses from rose powdery mildew, with the help of our expert tips.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time to act | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes |
Rose powdery mildew is a fungus that produces airborne spores from infected stems or buds on roses. After overwintering on your plants, the disease is most likely to flare up if the roots are in dry soil and the leaves are in humid air - conditions that are often found when plants are grown near or against a wall.
Symptoms
Leaves and buds on roses, possibly even stems and thorns, are covered by a dusting of white powder.
Find it on
roses - other powdery mildews affect other plants
Organic
Prune out and bin (don't compost) infected leaves or stems. When buying roses, choose varieties with good resistance to powdery mildew - a reputable grower will be able to advise. Keep the soil around the roots moist at all times. When planting roses, prepare the soil well by digging in generous amounts of well-rotted compost or farmyard manure into the planting hole. For established roses, a thick layer of mulch around the base of the plant will help.
Chemical
Before symptoms appear, apply a fungicide containing flutriafol at the recommended intervals from early spring.
Christmas offer
Gift a subscription to BBC Gardeners' World magazine and save 51% on the shop price.
Year Planner 2025 on sale
Starting to plan your gardening year? The Year Planner 2025 is packed with expert advice from the Gardeners’ World team, to ensure you have your best gardening year yet.
New podcast series
Join Monty and the team for advice on winter gardening, tulips, caring for birds, house plants and more in the new BBC Gardeners' World Magazine podcast series.
