What's eating my graham thomas rose?

Graham Thomas Rose, David Austin's iconic yellow English rose, is susceptible to aphids, blackfly, and sawfly. Japanese beetles attack in North America. Deer favor its dense, fragrant new growth. It has moderate disease resistance but can suffer spider mite pressure in hot summers. Weekly inspection through the growing season is recommended.

Dense colonies of greenfly or blackfly on new shoots and buds, causing distortion and sticky honeydew Spray with insecticidal soap or neem oil; encourage natural predators; remove heavily affected shoot tips

Leaf tissue eaten from above, leaving transparent windows that dry to brown patches; worst on young growth Hand-remove larvae; apply pyrethrin or spinosad; remove leaf debris in autumn to reduce pupation sites

Skeletonized foliage and chewed blooms from midsummer, particularly on lush growth Hand-pick at dawn; apply neem oil; use perimeter trap crops such as white geraniums away from the rose

Tips and buds browsed, leaving ragged torn stems — deer target roses year-round in rural gardens Install deer fencing or individual plant cages; apply commercial deer repellent and refresh after rain