Black Spot

No, we’re not talking about something that would strike fear into the hearts of Stede Bonnet and Anne Bonny, but we’re talking about that scourge of roses, black spot. The common rose disease, that causes black blotches to appear on the leaves of roses, can in fact be prevented and treated and doesn’t have to be feared.

Prevention is better than cure, so we’ll start there. Planting your roses near to onions and garlic or other alliums helps because black spot is a fungal disease and alliums are antifungal. Proper basic care is another useful form of prevention, if your roses are pruned correctly and at the right times, well irrigated, and in a place where air can circulate around them, they will be less likely to develop black spot.

If your roses have already developed black spot, don’t despair. Affected roses should be fine if you remove any affected stems and spray with an antifungal rose treatment. If you don’t want to use chemicals a natural cider vinegar treatment may help. Otherwise it is worth investing in a black spot resistant variety of rose. 

And most importantly, wash your hands and your equipment regularly.