Knowledgebase
Problems with roses #879107
Asked July 28, 2024, 12:40 PM EDT
Livingston County Michigan
Expert Response
It looks like you have a few issues going on with this plant. That 'spindly growth' you are referencing is extensive insect feeding. If you look closely, you can see chewed bits of leaves left on the stem. I'm not sure if this damage was caused before or after you sprayed. The sawfly larvae can cause holes in the leaves (like those leaves on the lower stems) but they can also eat larger sections as the larvae grows.
The leaf-chewing resulting in the 'spindly growth' on the upper sections could be caused by other insects as well. This may have happened after you treated for sawfly. There are a number of night-feeding insects that can damage plants in this way, so you may not have seen those insects on the plant. Here is a link to an article about night-feeding insects.
What bug chewed on my plants last night? - Gardening in Michigan (msu.edu)
The good news is that the roses have not been completely defoliated and should have enough leaves to survive into next year and should be able to put on new growth next spring.
From the photos the leaves also appear to have a stippled look, which indicates that they also probably have mite damage. This makes sense, as plants in this type of location (sunny south-facing with reflected heat from a building) often have mite issues. Unfortunately, natural predators of mites can be killed with various insecticides but not mites, thereby increasing the mite population. Here is an article from Purdue about mites and their treatment options.