hardy rugosa shrubs yellowing

I have two of these and they have done well until this year. One in particular has been dying back and turning yellow. This year I have had an influx of grasshoppers that eat the new buds. Could this be the cause of the die back? I do not fertilize or overwater as I know they don't need this. Cofusion reigns here! Thanks!


Doug says - OK, let's look at several things. 1) Nothing needs "overwatering" but roses require enough water to reduce stress and grow properly. So if you want a lot of blooms, you have to provide water.

I'm not sure who told you they didn't need feeding. Well, I guess they don't if you want them to "survive". If you want them to "thrive", then you had better get out the compost.

Yellowing leaves - are stress. It could be blackspot (yes, rugosa are only "resistant" to bs) but equally likely is general stress from poor growing. Or lack of sunlight as shade trees mature or ?? It could just as easily be lack of water if you're not watering and they're in a heat drought. Or it could be stress related to chemical spray drift from lawn care sprays.

But stress causes yellowing of leaves. Bottom line.

Grasshoppers eating buds won't cause dieback. They'll cause a lack of vigor if they eat the leaves but taking off the buds won't do anything to the overall health of the plant. (you just won't get flowers). But if they're chomping everything down - then next year you might see some problems as the plants will go into winter weakened. But it shouldn't really yellow everything now.

Hope that helps start you off by examining what could be stressing out the plants.