If you’ve got a rose bush in the garden, you’ll know that they’re a beautiful addition to any outdoor space. Coming in so many different shapes, sizes and colours, they instantly add a touch of luxury, and they are fairly easy to care for as well.
However, like every plant, you need to take care of them in order for your roses to thrive. This involves keeping an eye out for any signs of potential problems that could spell chaos for your plants. And according to one gardening expert, doing one quick check today could save you a lot of hassle in the long run.
Michael the Mediterranean Gardener recently took to TikTok to discuss some of the jobs that all gardeners should do in September, and one of these was to check your roses for signs of a dangerous disease.
Hailing the job as ‘essential’, he said: “Check roses for black spots and remove anything that’s affected.”
Black spot is one of the most common issues that gardeners face, and whilst it’s not always fatal for roses, it can weaken them significantly if it’s left unchecked.
What is black spot?
According to the experts at the Royal Horticultural Society, black spot is the ‘most serious’ disease for roses. It’s a fungal disease which infects the leaves and causes the plant to weaken.
New strains of the fungus can develop very quickly, so it’s hard to keep under control.
It can look like a large black or purplish patch which appears on the upper surface of the leaf, and you might be able to see strands of the fungus coming out too.
Leaves can also turn yellow in colour and drop off, with badly affected plants potentially losing all of their leaves.
How to prevent black spot
If you have noticed black spot infecting your roses, you need to collect and destroy any fallen leaves, or bury them under a layer of mulch.
As Michael recommended, you can also pick off and get rid of any leaves that linger on the plant as we head closer to the winter months.
Then, make sure to prune out any stem lesions in spring, before new leaves appear.