How to Treat and Prevent Black Spot on Roses

Black spot is a fungal disease (Diplocarpon rosae) that affects roses. The fungus develops as black spots on the leaves, which eventually causes the leaves to turn yellow and drop off. Besides looking unsightly, it can seriously weaken the rose plant. Black spot on roses thrives during cool, moist weather. Read on for information about treatments for black spot on roses.

What Does Black Spot Do?

Black spot will look like somewhat circular black spots on leaves. It usually occurs on the upper sides of leaves, but can also develop on the undersides. The outer margins of the black circles are ragged or feathery and they are usually surrounded by a ring of yellow.

Spots typically begin on the lower leaves and move upward. They can appear as early as when the leaves first unfurl. These spots can enlarge and eventually merge. Affected leaves often fall off the plants, and if left unchecked, the entire plant can defoliate. The loss of leaves reduces he plant's ability to photosynthesize food, weakening the bush, and causing a decline of rose production.

The fungus can also infect young canes, causing dark purple or black blisters on the canes, and even the flowers may show some red spotting. Infected plants will set fewer flower buds and without leaves, the plants become stressed and susceptible to more problems.

What Causes Black Spot on Roses?

The fungal spores that cause black spot to germinate in the springtime are dispersed by splashing water from rain and watering, as well as wind that also transports spores. If it is not managed, your roses will keep getting black spot. If you experience an extremely hot summer in July and August, the high temperatures may limit the development of future spores.

Life Cycle of Black Spot Disease

While there is no cure for infected leaves, black spot can be prevented. Existing spores overwinter on infected fallen leaves and stems, waiting for favorable conditions. The spores germinate in spring and must be continuously wet for seven hours before germination occurs. The spores develop fruiting bodies, called acervuli, in the black lesions. These produce spores that splash onto new tissue, spreading the disease.

Give the Plant Ideal Growing Conditions

True for avoiding any plant disease, a healthy, vigorous plant is less susceptible to problems. Roses prefer a sunny location with well-draining soil and regular, weekly watering. Plant roses in a place where they receive morning sun, which helps dry moisture from the leaves. Full, all-day sun is best.

Good Air Flow

Provide good air circulation around and through your rose plants. Do not plant your roses too close to other plants. Prune to open the spaces between canes, if the plant gets too dense and air cannot get through. By providing good air circulation and ensuring canes don't cross, black spot will have a harder time spreading.

Proper Watering

Avoid getting the leaves wet while watering. There is not much you can do about rain, but avoid overhead sprinklers and focus water directly to the plant's roots.

Pruning

Cut back roses with black spot. Remove any infected leaves and always do a thorough cleanup each fall. Remove and dispose of any remaining leaves when you do your dormant rose pruning in late winter/early spring. Spores can remain on leaves and stems and can reinfect whenever conditions are favorable. Within 10 days of the first symptoms, the disease has already started spreading. Spores spread by water. Prune out any canes showing signs of infection. Prune 6 to 8 inches below the infection and only prune in dry weather. Disinfect your pruners with a 10 percent bleach solution or alcohol between cuts. Dispose of infected leaves and canes—do not compost them, as the spores can re-infect plants. Make sure to clean up fallen leaves as well, and dispose of them properly.

Mulch

Apply a thick layer of mulch around the plant's base. Mulch prevents soil from splashing up on the plant, and if the spores are present in the soil, it will help stop black spot from spreading on the roses. Make sure the mulch doesn't contain rotting wood, since artillery fungus can develop in a moist environment.

Topical Sprays for Treatment and Prevention

There are commercial and homemade, DIY-solutions you can use to try to prevent the spread of black spot. The treatment may seem time-consuming; it is a pesky problem that can only be slowed down as nothing can really kill black spot on roses. And, after you have treated the plant, you need to spray your plants weekly starting in early spring, as well as after a heavy rain, to keep blackspot from reoccurring. Spray the entire plant, including both the top and bottom of the leaves, as well as the stems. Consider using a dormant spray over winter to smother overwintering spores.

• Bordeaux mix: This is a fungicide that contains copper sulfate and hydrated lime. It can be used as a powder or mixed with water and sprayed. Bordeaux mix also repels some insect pests, but it can burn plant leaves. It is generally used as a preventative in the spring before plants leaf out.
• Insecticidal soaps with added fungicide: You can use an organic fungicide, which is often sulfur added to regular insecticidal soap. The soap coats the leaves and helps the fungicide adhere to the plant.
• Neem oil: Neem is an organic fungicide and pesticide, derived from the seeds of the neem tree. It gets inside the plant's system, so you do not need to worry about coating everything or reapplying after rain. However, it can burn plant leaves in the hot sun. You should not apply neem oil within two weeks of using a product containing sulfur.
• Sulfur: Sulfur prevents fungus diseases. It is also used to control several insect pests. Sulfur comes as a finely ground powder. If you prefer to spray it on, look for one that is labeled as wettable so that it will mix with water.

Home Remedies for Black Spot on Roses

Organic remedies may work for some gardeners and not for others but experimenting is encouraged as long as you keep up the habit of frequently spraying roses to keep black spot at bay.

• Baking soda spray: Dissolve 1 teaspoon of baking soda in 1 quart of warm water. Add up to 1 teaspoon of liquid soap. Spray leaves thoroughly. This mixture works as a preventive. It also offers some protection from powdery mildew.
• Vinegar: This vinegar-based recipe may be effective and safe for all types of 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, a tablespoon of dish soap, and a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add that mixture to a gallon of water, spray it on the rose foliage, and reapply the mixture every week to 10 days, especially after a rainstorm.
• Milk: Another remedy to try is a spray mix of one part milk to two parts water applied weekly to control black spot. This can't kill the spores, but it may slow down the spread so you can get a handle on the problem.
• Hydrogen peroxide: There are reports that spraying a mix of 1 tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide (3 percent concentration) and 1 cup of water works on black spot, as well.
  

Plant-Resistant Cultivars

Roses are often labeled for resistance, from highly resistant on down. If you are looking into black spot-resistance, you might as well look for a rose that is also resistant to rust fungus and powdery mildew. Rugosas, a newer shrub and ground cover rose, and many of the Canadian Explorer series roses like 'John Cabot' and 'William Baffin', show good resistance. Roses least resistant to black spot include hybrid tea roses, grandifloras, and miniature roses. Most resistants roses include hybrid floribunds, shrub, and climbing roses.