Have your roses fallen victim to the dreaded black spot fungus? Here's what you can do to help

With so many tasks to get done in the garden, it's easy to forget to check on your plants and their well-being. And finding that they've fallen prey to nasty infections or diseases is the last thing you want.

Learning how to grow roses in your garden is one of the most rewarding practices, and luckily, the beloved florals are relatively easy to care for. Other than knowing when to prune your roses or mastering how often you should be watering them, there's not much you'll need to do to see them thrive.

However, roses are susceptible to a common fungal infection called Black Spot. It can spread extremely quickly and is pretty damaging to the plant if not treated. Luckily, garden design expert and influencer Ish (@gardening.with.ish on Instagram) is here with his plant wisdom to not only help you treat black spot on roses but also prevent it from happening in the first place.

"Black spot on your roses is a bit of a nuisance, but I’m going to teach you how to treat it and prevent it. But first of all, let's go into the actual root cause, because it’s not just doing it by itself. There are a few factors which can cause it," starts Ish.

If you've been sorting your garden out and found your roses have started with black spot, there are a few reasons it could have happened.

"First off is stress, one of the most common ones. Overwatering, underwatering. By doing this, it becomes weak or too soggy, which is a nice open door to fungal infections. We don’t want that," explains Ish.

"Really dense foliage and not enough airflow as well, is also a breeding ground for fungus too. So make sure you kind of thin it out before it starts growing again to ensure that it’s got plenty of airflow through," he adds.

That's why it's so important to use your essential gardening tools and make sure you're pruning your rose bushes enough. Whilst you may want a dense bush for a cheap way to block your neighbour's view, it's not the best for the plant.

Should your roses have fallen victim to black spot, don't panic just yet, as the treatment is straightforward and can be done at any stage.

"Now, treatment-wise, there are a few things you can do. If you’ve got the odd little leaf with black spot, pinch it straight off, you’re done," suggests Ish.

"If it hasn’t spread, you’re lucky, and if it has spread, you can get sprays like Rose Clear or make your own organic spray by using a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda in a spray bottle of water and lightly mist over the top every week or so. That should hopefully clear it," he continues.

We'd recommend using a clean pair of secateurs on affected leaves if your rose bush is particularly established, as this will prevent any thorn pricking or unwanted snapped branches.

Supporting garden plants as they grow, not just with physical support but also natural support, will make gardening that much easier and rewarding. And one easy yet sustainable way you can do this for your roses and other plants is with companion planting.

"That’s that sorted, but what do we do in terms of prevention? Now, as mentioned, it’s a great idea to keep it light and airy and make sure it’s adequately watered but not overwatered, which is key," begins Ish.

"But the other thing you can do is actually grow salvias around your rose bushes because salvias are a natural antifungal plant, and by having them nearby, they help prevent fungal infections in the first place. So if you’ve got a black spot on your rose now, you know what to do," he finishes.

Not only are salvias the perfect growing neighbour for your roses, but they're also a plant that flower none stop, so it's really a win-win.

Now you can solve the black spot issue. Why not try some easy ways to keep your roses flowering all summer long? Prolonging blooming means you have weeks more worth of enjoyment out of your flowers.