Some of our David Austin Rose customers have asked us what do they do if they find Black Spot on their roses. We thought we’d do a little piece about this as Black Spot thrives in certain conditions. With all the warm, humid and wet weather we’re currently experiencing this is a perfect time for this most serious rose disease to show up.
It is caused by a fungus, Diplocarpon rosae, which infects the leaves of your rose and as a result can if not treated greatly reduce your plants vitality and overall health if not removed. Once the rose leaf has been damaged it will not recover. The black spot fungus produces spores, which are released under wet conditions and usually spread by rain-splash.
Treating black spot roses begins with prevention. – by following a few simple step you can reduce/stop Black Spot appearing on your roses:
- Especially if the weather is warm and humid, avoid getting the foliage wet when watering.
- Choose Resistant Roses: Some varieties of rose are resistant to black spot.
- Allow Air Circulation: Choose a planting site with plenty of air circulation, sunlight and be sure to space your roses 3-4 feet apart.
What Should You Find Black Spot On Your Roses:
- Act immediately by removing all the contaminated leaves.
- Make sure the base of you rose is clear of any fallen contaminated leaves to avoid re-contamination.
- Good garden hygiene is a must to avoid the spread of Black Spot so dispose of all leaves you’ve removed as soon as possible.
- Ensure all your gardening tools are clean i.e. secateurs, gloves etc as the disease can also be passed from rose to rose on your hands, clothing or tools.
- Some gardening blogs suggest a homemade fungicide made from baking soda about 4 teaspoons to a gallon of water and a drop of washing up liquid (to help the soda stick to the leaves) with out any bleach/de-greaser. Using this method will help change the PH level on the surface of your rose leaves making it more difficult for Black Spot to infect your rose.
**Please note**:
Before using any homemade mix, you should always test it out on a small portion of the plant first to make sure that it will not harm the plant. Also, avoid using any bleach-based soaps or detergents on plants since this can be harmful to them. In addition, it is important that a home mixture never be applied to any plant on a hot or brightly sunny day, as this will quickly lead to burning of the plant and its ultimate demise.
If you’d like to share any tips regarding Black Spot please leave us a comment so we can share.
Happy gardening, until the next time…
