If you’re a fan of roses, then it’s important to pay attention to the fungal disease known as black spot, which can be detrimental to the health of the flowers. Gardening expert Adam Kirtland has shared some advice
“Yes, it’ll leave your roses looking a little worse for wear but they’ll be amazing next year.”(Image: Getty)
The autumn months are the perfect time to get ahead on garden maintenance, especially preparing plants and lawns for surviving winter. It’s important to pay attention to some of the problems faced during this time, including dangerous black spot disease.
Gardening expert Adam Kirtland, better known as View from the Potting Bench on TikTok, recently shared some important jobs gardeners should be doing in November. He highlighted the importance of taking care of roses and fungal diseases, to ensure that the flowers grow back bigger and healthier next year, reports the Express.
Adam urged gardeners: “If you want better roses next year, do this one job now.”
How to tackle black spot on roses
Roses will grow back healthier and bigger next spring if you do one task to get rid of black spot(Image: Getty)
The gardening expert explained: “Roses get something called black spot, which is essentially a fungal disease that can be really bad for the plant, but you can deal with it right now.”
For those who aren’t aware, rose black spot is a fungal infection where affected blooms develop purple and black marks on their foliage. The condition eventually leads to premature leaf drop on the flowers.
According to the Royal Horticultural Society, when leaves become infected, the blemishes typically emerge on the foliage from springtime onwards.
These markings will only worsen over time, potentially causing long-term damage to plants.
Alongside the purple and black spots, other symptoms of the disease include yellowing leaf tissues, falling leaves, and small, black, “scabby lesions” may also appear on young stems.
Black spot is a common rose disease(Image: i-am-helen via Getty Images)
Plants which are severely affected will lose almost all of their leaves. To combat black spot, first identify the black “mottling” marks on the petals and leaves.
Adam said: “Fortunately, it’s really easy to deal with. All you want to do is cut that leaf off, just like that, and then dispose of it. Yes, it’ll leave your roses looking a little worse for wear but they’ll be amazing next year.”
To help prevent black spots, the RHS explained it’s best to control by avoiding pests, diseases and weeds, as well as maintaining good garden hygiene, and introducing “natural enemies”.
The RHS also advised gardeners to collect and destroy any fallen leaves during the autumn, and to also pick off and dispose of any leaves that remain on the plant during the winter months. Gardeners should also avoid using fungicides, as this could reduce biodiversity, impact soil health, and have adverse effects on the environment.
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