Prevent black rose spot disease now and chances are that your roses will not suffer during next year

Black rose leaf spot (Diplocarpon rosae) is probably the most dreaded enemy of every flower lover. It is caused by a fungus called Marssonina rosae and unfortunately, the fight against this disease never ends.

Many of us probably fail to understand the cycle and progress of this dreaded disease and hope that it somehow disappears. It will not, and afterit kills the last rose leaf the disease enters a winter sleep and waiting mode.

Think of prevention even before planting

Spores of Marssonina rosae survive in the soil and you need to make sure that if one bush gets it the others will not get infected and that the disease will not spread throughout your garden.Correct spacing is very important. Before frosts hit, you must loosen the soil so the frost gets in and kills the spores. Also keep in mind that an acidic environment is good for this type of fungi and indeed for all fungi. It is therefore necessary to fertilize well and add lime for best results.

Photo: Pixabay

However, you need to be careful with nitrogen fertilizers. In large quantities nitrogen can harm your plants. Always follow instructions! Before the winter comes, you need to treat affected plants with copper or iron sulphate, and the best way is to alternate between these two preparations. Apply the second one after the snow melts.

Additional prevention

You need to pay extra attention to infected plants and you need to observe them more than the healthy ones. A good idea is to apply growth stimulators or other products designed to improve immunity of roses. When the first affected leaves appear in the summer, spray roses with a suitable chemical (you can also use products designed for prevention). If you follow these suggestions carefully, black spot will have much harder time to multiply in your garden.

Preview photo: Pixabay

Source: https://vrtickarji.substral.si/clanek/bolezni-vrtnic-resitve, https://www.zahrada-centrum.cz/clanky/283-cerna-skvrnitost-a-jak-pred-ni-chranit-ruze, https://www.nkz.cz/praxe/choroby-skudci/jak-predchazet-cerne-skvrnitosti-ruzi