This is my first year growing roses and they've suffered from a disease called blackspot (when it rains a lot, kills the leaves and then the stem). There are products to treat and protect the roses (sprays and system) that are chemical based. I'm just wondering if anyone has a good organic alternative that has worked for them? Thanks in advance. I've lost one rose already. Hoping to save the rest.

Paul

Jodi,

You say you haven't had blackspot? right?

do you think vinegar would work to prevent blackspot the way a systemic formula would? Applied by spray I mean.

Paul

I apply a natural(but still slightly toxic) treatment from Greencure; it's a powder that you dissolve in a large quantity of water and spray on. Tedious, but works all right. My grandpa, the family green thumb, instilled in me a belief that the aerial parts of a plant will never prosper if the roots are unhappy. I will say this, since I started routinely fertilizing my roses four times a season with Doctor Earth Organic Rose and Flower fertilizer, applied as a composted "tea," the incidence of blackspot has decreased noticeably, even being eliminated in some plants. One rose that always gets infected without fail because it's beneath a gutter that overflows onto it is only slightly affected; this rose is usually overcome by blackspot by this point in the season.

Tamara,

Thanks. Greencure is the brand? I will see if I can find it online. Thanks.

Paul

Paul,

[www.greencure.net]

Do also consider the Dr. Earth fertilizer product; I checked my particularily afflicted rose earlier this evening, and she is looking amazing, with only a few blackspot-affected leaves far down and a profusion of healthy symmetrical blooms everywhere else!

Paul

have had some experience with roses when i was a gardener.

my conclusion on the subject of black spot is that the rose is a hybrid type of plant and that it doesnt have the vigorus charateristics of evan a more wild variety seems to have. therefore it must be give optimal conditions so that it is not targeted by naure's many antagonist to the weak.

i would give the rose plants optimal conditions so that it does not signal weakness into the real of "predators" whose job it is to search out the weak ones.

optimal sun, proper spacing, away from competing root systems, soil mix 50/50 mix loam and "sand-sediment",about 6.0 to 6.8., sufficient water (& good drainage).

carefull that the Ph is not too acid... it locks up the nutrients by forming insoluable precipitates.

spraying for blackspot should be a last resort.

BTW: got most of the info from a web search.

jj