Posted by Josi:
How can I keep my roses free of black spot?

While many people think that having roses means having black spot, this isn't the case. Here are some things you can do to keep the disease at bay:

Choose disease-resistant varieties, and grow them in full sun and well-drained soil. Roses in good conditions naturally resist disease better than roses that struggle to grow.

Avoid getting the plants' foliage wet whenever possible and spread mulch over the soil to keep soil-borne diseases from splashing up onto the leaves. Plant your roses well apart, too. Better airflow around the plants reduces the likelihood of disease.

Reducing the amount of fertilizer used can also help. Fertilizer makes the plants put on soft growth that's more susceptible to both insects and disease.

If you see any spots develop on the foliage, remove the affected leaves right away. This can often stop a disease from spreading.

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