Rose Diseases – Blackspot Symptoms, Treatments and Prevention

Blackspot is an unfortunately common disease that is associated with roses. It is caused when the fungus Diplocarpon rosae attacks the plant. If your roses start to show symptoms of Blackspot, you will need to take immediate actions. If you don’t act right away, Blackspot will make your rose show fewer blooms and the plant might not be able to make it through the colder winter months.

You can easily recognize Blackspot symptoms once it has taken hold of your plants, but it can be tough to recognize in the beginning. After awhile, however, Blackspot will start to show sign on your plants in as few as 3 days to as many as 10 days after the fungus has first taken hold with the plant. You will see black-colored spots that gives the disease its name. As the disease gets worse, the black-colored spots will start to show yellow rings around the black spots and the spots will go to the underside of the leaves. As the disease continues, spores will start to show up as well. Many of the yellowed leaves will fall of the plant.

Blackspot can spread quickly. It will jump from one rose plant to another if left untreated. You will notice that the fungus stays on the leave and can live throughout the winter, affecting the plant in the springtime. You can’t expect the disease to stay on the cane and be killed by the harsher weather.

Most fungi will thrive in warm, moist environments, and Blackspot is no exception. The spores will germinate after only 7 hours of getting wet and the temperature outside is between 65 and 75 degrees. The warmer the weather, actually, the more conducive it is for the fungi spreading and growing with the plants.

Taking great care of your roses is the only way to prevent and treat plants with Blackspot. Since the spores can survive on the fallen leaves, you will need to make sure that the fallen leaves are cleaned up and removed to reduce the threat to other plants.

When the roses are still dormant in the spring, you can get a wettable sulphur and a soap with a fungicide that gets rid of the disease when you spray your roses thoroughly. The spores cannot handle the sulphur and the other mixture will save the leaves from infecting the plant and other surrounding bushes. You will need to reapply the sulphur since it will get washed off in the rain.

Take extra care to keep your roses moisture-free. Keep your plants in sunny locations that lets the morning dew evaporate quickly. Make sure that the roots of your plant get wet and not the leaves when you water. Water early in the day to give your plants plenty of time to absorb the water and have it evaporate. Finally, prune your bushes regularly to allow plenty of space between the flowers in case one does become infected. Taking great care of your roses will ensure that your plants stay healthy for years on end.

         

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