What's eating my constance spry rose?

Constance Spry, a once-flowering shrub/climber, faces the usual rose outdoor lineup: aphids on tender spring shoots, sawfly larvae skeletonising leaves, and black spot on its dense, lush foliage. Its one long flowering flush makes aphid pressure during that peak window the most damaging single threat each season.

Dense colonies on soft shoot tips and bud stalks; honeydew leads to sooty mould and bud distortion. Encourage beneficial insects; spray with insecticidal soap or diluted neem oil, targeting undersides of leaves and growing tips.

Window-paned or fully skeletonised leaflets; pale, multi-legged larvae visible on undersides, active late spring to early summer. Hand-pick larvae; spray with a pyrethrin or spinosad product in the evening to avoid pollinators.

Dark spots with feathery edges on upper leaf surface, yellowing and early leaf drop reducing vigour. Clear fallen leaves; mulch to prevent soil splash. Apply fungicide (myclobutanil or trifloxystrobin) preventively in damp conditions.

Clean 45-degree nibbles on young stems at ground level, particularly on newly planted or low-branching growth. Wrap base stems in spiral tree guards or fine wire mesh to 60 cm height; remove guards to check for stem rub in summer.