Another flower question please! I have planted my rose out and it seems to be doing OK except it has black stuff on the leaves. Hubby cut off all the damaged ones and we sprayed it with the blue Bordeaux stuff. Is there anything else I should be doing? ONe of my smaller cuttings also has it but not so many leaves spare to keep cutting them off. Any advise / help appreciated!
And THIS my dear friends is why I’ve left off growing roses until now, I always thought they are a pain and it is turning out true already and I haven’t even had a flower yet!!! Actually one of the cuttings from MIL is tiny, in a tiny pot and has a flower (as well as a little black stuff).
Black stuff is “black spot” and is a fungus. Some roses are more susceptible than others. Ideally, buy roses that are known to stay “clean” - needs advice from nursery.
If you don’t have time and can’t be faffed, I wouldn’t bother about growing roses. To keep them looking immaculate is time-consuming. I have MASSES of roses and do nothing with any of them in terms of sorting out black spot - I don’t have the time. Some of my rose bushes lose virtually all their leaves but then later in the year send out a fresh lot which seem to be healthier. (Interestingly, having masses of roses means that you don’t notice the black spot - having A rose bush or two means that the black spot screams at you.)
If you want to spray it then use whatever you find in the local garden centre, but it’s also worth feeding the plant with rose feed or water in nettle “tea”.
This may help if you have the time to lavish love on it.
NOW you tell me Hmmm now I’m thinking it might get moved further from the terrace then where it can do it’s thing without annoying me if it isn’t actually going to kill it! I have loads of nettle tea so will do that. I made it last year, presume it will still be OK?
True. Love bougainvillea and tried it last year against a sunny high stone at the back of my new, very sheltered ‘Mediterranean’ rock garden. Didn’t make it.
Wouldn’t bother again, but was also disappointed by the very narrow range of colours available here. In S Africa one had a fantastically broad palette with which to play - my two favourites were burnt orange and mauve.
Do not despair. Roses are beautiful plants that can bring years of pleasure and their care really isn’t that difficult.
The ‘Black Spot’ problem is fairly common, but while some varieties are prone to it, others have been bred to be resistant.
Spraying with a copper or sulphur based solution will help to both prevent and control the black spot, but they are both ‘contact’ sprays that only work where they touch the plant and so the spraying has to be repeated quite frequently. Also, these sprays leave unsightly residue on the leaves — blue for copper and brown for sulphur.
The best defense is to start the season with a strongly growing plant that is not under stress. Get rid of weeds and debris from around the base of the plant in the autumn, lightly use a handfork to loosen the soil around the plant, and apply a good handful of granular fertiliser (engrais). Then mulch around the plant (but not touching the stem) so that the winter rain will slowly wash the fertiliser down into the soil. Once spring arrives and fresh shoots start to appear, just make sure that the rose doesn’t suffer from drought stress. A bucket of water once a week should do the trick during dry spells. Your rose will then be best placed to fight off disease.
Appropriate pruning to create an open structure that allows plenty of air flow through the plant will also help to prevent disease.
The most effective way to treat the return of blackspot (and it will come back), is to use a systemic spray product such as RoseClear. Spray at the first sign of disease and the plant will be protected for 3 or 4 weeks at least.
If the infestation was bad during the previous year, then spray as soon as the leaves start to appear. As it is a ‘systemic’ spray it doesn’t matter if you miss a bit as the plants own sap will carry the active ingredients throughout the plant.
Whatever you do, DO NOT put trimmings from the rose into the compost heap or take them to the Dechetterie. Diseased leaves and stems should be either burnt or put in the general trash in order to avoid spreading the affliction far and wide.
As with any plant that isn’t a weed, a little TLC goes a long way. Pruning and fertilising in autumn, a little trim in spring to keep things in order, a spray or two when needed, and a bucket of water now and then, and you will have beautiful roses that will be the envy of the neighbourhood and last well in excess of twenty years.
Thanks for all your advice and your very detailed reply @Robert_Hodge
I took off all the black leaves and threw them in the bin, hubby sprayed with the blue stuff. It was looking quite bare after that but lots of new leaves popping out. I went for a check earlier and there was only one little set of leaves with black spot so I took them off. Not much blue left on and as you mentioned not that pretty. I found this recipe online. What do you guys think?
Vinegar: A vinegar-based recipe may be effective and safe for all rose problems, including black spot. Mix a tablespoon of white distilled vinegar with one cup of water, 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of baking soda, 1 tablespoon of dish soap, and 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add that mixture to a gallon of water, spray it on the rose foliage, and reapply it every week to 10 days, especially after a rainstorm.
I’ve got cosmos, zinnias, dahlias, sunflowers, yarrow, babies breath, echinacea all ready to go into my cutting garden, just need some time to get the bed ready and get them in! A bit sad as won’t get flowers as early as I hoped but never mind, will have a late summer / autumn bounty I hope!
I believe that the baking soda has anti-bacterial properties but is fairly strongly alkaline, which presumably is the reason for the white vinegar (acetic acid) to balance out the ph of the solution. The dish soap will break down the surface tension of the water and thus allow a more consistent thin coat on the foliage as opposed to forming droplets. The vegetable oil will assist adhesion to the foliage.
I’ve never used it myself and would be interested to know the source of this wisdom and whether or not anyone else has had success with it or something similar.
I note that the first line of the recipe says that it MAY be effective and safe.
I hope that I’ll be forgiven if I don’t rely on it to protect my ‘Masquerade’ climber.
Whatever you spray with, the important thing is to keep doing it at regular intervals. Next year, don’t wait for the disease to appear, but rather start spraying as soon as the first leaves break bud.
Hmmm now I’m thinking it might get moved further from the terrace then where it can do it’s thing without annoying me if it isn’t actually going to kill it! I have loads of nettle tea so will do that. I made it last year, presume it will still be OK?