Leaf curling and mild clorosis

[Rose Gardener]

Well, as some of you know by now, I have been dealing with fungus gnats over the past few days.

 

Yesterday I treated with a pyrethrum drench. Prior to that the plants had been given three drenches with a garlic basil and tobacco brew.

 

Today I poked my head in to see how my victims, I mean patients are doing.

 

First thing I noticed when I open the door was that some, not all, of the leaves seemed to be kind of wilted. Having a closer look, it was obvious that it wasn't wilt, but the leave had curled down.

 

It hasn't affected them all too badly, it's more obvious on my two bigger plants, B2 and WW2.

 

I also noticed a wee bit of clorosis on the tips of some leaves and a bit more than just the tips on a couple of WW2's leaves.

 

I have gone thru all the trouble shooting material I can find and I have come up with three possibilities.

i) Too much 'water', the roots are suffocating.

ii) Root damage, from either the gnats, the brew, the pyrethrum, or 'water'. Should really say liquids.

iii) Maybe a potassium deficiency?

 

I'm a bit skeptical on possibility 3 tho as only some of the plants have a light purple hue to their stems but all of them are exhibiting the same symptom to varying degrees... Also, the stems don't seem weak or soft either.

 

I am not going to 'water' any of the plants again for a while because I have a feeling that it's all because of my attack on the fungus gnats, that is, the drenchings.

 

I am thinking it might be a good idea to pepper the soil again with my spare 4.5mm knitting needle and get some air into the roots...

 

What do you guys think?

 

Cheer n thanks in advance.