Knowledgebase

Is there a test for Crown gall in roses? #871685

Asked June 05, 2024, 10:52 AM EDT

I received a bare-root rose bush recently from an online vendor and one of the roots has a growth that looks suspiciously like Crown gall to me. I emailed the vendor and they assured me that it is caused by "nitrogen fixation" and is safe to plant. I am not 100% convinced that it isn't gall and would like to have it tested before potentially infecting any other roses in my gardens (I have over 100, planted in close proximity). Is there such a test available? Thank you for any help you can give me.

Lane County Oregon

Expert Response

There looks like crown gall, caused by a bacterium. With crown gall, the galls are usually round with a rough, irregular surface. Young actively growing galls are light green or white-ish, and soft. As they age, they become darkened and woody. Galls caused by nematodes tend to cause swelling of the roots and can't be rubbed off the root, and nodules from nitrogen fixing bacteria are red when cut open and easily rubbed off the roots (and most nitrogen fixing plants are in the legume family, not the rose family). I believe this is crown gall, but to confirm, you would need to send a plant sample to the OSU Plant Clinic in Corvallis. Do not plant any rose plants that have galls on them. The bacterium can spread through contaminated soil and pruning equipment, so if you used any pruners on the infected plant, be sure to sterilize pruners after each cut. Discard of any soil that came in the pot with the plant. Do not compost the infected plant or soil from the pot, send it to the landfill or burn. For more recommendations, refer to: https://pnwhandbooks.org/plantdisease/host-disease/rose-rosa-spp-hybrids-crown-gall

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