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Gardening

Blackspot on roses

(6 Posts)
Astitchintime Tue 05-Mar-24 11:25:03

We have a number of roses in large pots and last year we were plagued with blackspot.
I don't like using harsh chemicals anywhere in the garden or house.
All the roses had a really hard prune last autumn and are now showing signs of new foliage. My question is this, how do we prevent blackspot? Do any of you GNetters have your own methods or do we HAVE to use the nasty chemicals - many of which don't work anyway - to rid our roses of it this year?

Esmay Tue 05-Mar-24 11:47:11

Roses don't do that well in my garden as the soil is so light that they rock in the wind .
I have grown incredible roses in clay soil and done very little to them apart from an annual prune and a feed if I remembered .

Roses grown in pots take extra care .
Some roses are bred to be black spot free , but it doesn't guarantee that they are .
Are your roses under trees or shrubs causing water to drip on them ?
If so , it will aggravate the problem .
As your roses are in pots - are they well drained ?
Have you got feet under your pots ?

Greenacres make a safe to insects sulphur based black spot killer .

keepingquiet Tue 05-Mar-24 11:47:28

I don't have roses anymore but like you when I did I wouldn't put chemicals on. Maybe it depends on the type of rose, soil conditions, weather conditions. I cut mine hard back every winter and dead headed them religiously, but the black spot never bothered me. I just smelled and enjoyed the blooms.

nanna8 Tue 05-Mar-24 12:14:13

I’ve got blackspot on one of my rose bushes,too. I hate it . The flowers are a lot smaller this year. I prune it hard but it appears again as soon as the hot weather comes ( it is hot here just now). In the end I snip all the worst leaves off but I can’t take them all off. I don’t like sprays, either.

Whitewavemark2 Tue 05-Mar-24 12:16:28

I think aphids spread the spore - so be vigilant about eradicating them asap.

Might help

GrannyIvy Tue 05-Mar-24 13:41:54

My DH pruned our roses very hard in autum, more than I would have liked.They are full of new growth and coming along beautifully but he says they need a good prune again at the end of March but then all the new growth that looks so good and healthy will be cut away!!! I said no leave them now. What is the right thing to do?