Roses come in a huge variety of different colours and styles, and they’re great for adding some luxury and vibrancy to your garden. They look especially beautiful in summer, when they burst into full bloom.
If you’re spending more time outside tending to your garden in this warm weather spell, you might have spotted your roses looking a little different. There’s one small sign that can appear on the leaves of your plant, that could signal a potentially dangerous problem. That’s according to Michael the Mediterranean Gardener on TikTok who has sounded the alarm for anyone with a rose bush in their garden.
The pro headed out into his garden to inform viewers of the problem, which can appear on rose leaves. Holding up a piece of foliage, he said: “One of the most serious fungal diseases for roses which causes black spots, making the leaves turn yellow which will eventually fall off.”
This can happen anytime from spring onwards, according to the Royal Horticultural Society.
Badly affected plants can end up shedding all of their leaves, and the disease has actually been blamed for a decline in the popularity of roses in UK gardens in recent decades.
However, dealing with the issue doesn’t have to be difficult.
Michael explained: “The best thing you can do is pick [the leaves] off. Remove any and all affected leaves, even if that means completely defoliating the plant.
“If you’re doing this with a pair of secateurs, remember to give them a good clean after to stop the spread, or you can pull them in the opposite direction to the growth to easily remove them.”
Once you’re finished tending to your plant, there’s one vital step that should never be forgotten.
Michael said: “Everything that you pick off needs to be destroyed. Don’t put it in your compost heap.”