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. Adam urged gardeners: “If you want better roses next year, do this one job now.”
How to get of black spot on roses
The gardening expert said: “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.”
If you’re unfamiliar, rose black spot is a fungal disease where the blooms affected will have purple and black spots developing on their leaves. The disease ultimately causes the flowers’ leaves to fall earlier. According to the Royal Horticultural Society, if the leaves are infected, the marks will usually appear on the leaves from spring time.
These markings will only persist as time goes on, and can ultimately damage plants in the long run. Alongside the purple and black spots, other symptoms of the disease include the leaf tissues turning yellow, dropping leaves, and small, black, “scabby lesions” may also appear on young stems.
Plants which are badly affected will shed almost all of their leaves. To tackle 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 good garden hygiene, and introducing “natural enemies”.
The RHS also urged gardeners to collect and destroy any fallen leaves during the autumn, and to also pick off and dispose of any leaves that stay 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.