Monty Don has provided his expert advice on dealing with black spot on roses as British weather patterns change, creating difficulties for gardeners. Black spot is a fungal infection that causes dark patches on the leaves and stems of rose bushes.
The damaged foliage frequently yellows and drops off as autumn draws near. The respected 70-year-old Gardeners’ World presenter explained how to manage black spot, indicating it’s down to individual preference. He said: “A lot of plants get black spot, but it doesn’t affect the flowering and doesn’t affect the health of the plant. It’s just unsightly and that, personally, I can tolerate.”
He continued: “If it’s defoliating completely, if a plant is suffering and looking bad, and other roses near it are not suffering from it, then that’s because the plant is particularly prone to it, so just get rid of it.”
Nevertheless, if all your roses are impacted by black spot, Monty cautioned: “you’ve got a problem”.He also warned gardeners to anticipate “more fungal problems, not less” should there be an Indian summer this year.
On the BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine podcast, he shared his one tip to rid roses of black spots. He explained: “The only practical thing you can do is, don’t water overhead. You can’t stop the rain, but don’t wet the leaves, keep the leaves dry.
“So water at the base, gather up all the affected leaves that drop and burn them, don’t put them on the compost.”
Monty went on to offer additional guidance for maintaining gardens as winter draws closer. “In winter, rake the ground around the plant thoroughly to disturb the spores. Leave it bare over the winter months, then mulch it thickly in early spring,” he shared.
“And the cold, if we get a really cold snap, that will affect the spores that will be in the ground.
“But, the truth is, if you live with roses, you live with it to a certain extent.”