Knowledgebase
Is there a test for Crown gall in roses? #871685
Asked June 05, 2024, 10:52 AM EDT
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